Ages Apart
by dawnm
Summary: A routine patrol brings unexpected guests into Buffy and Willow's lives. New friends help to bring clarity to our slayer and hacker and much BW goodness ensues. Pls Read & Review. RomanceAction. BW
1. A Trip Through Time

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

Chapter 1

Xena and Gabrielle walked past the scrambling villagers, toward the edge of the woods. Xena listened intently to the conversation of two men nearby.

"...loss of so many. Three more girls have disappeared from a village just south of here." One man said to the other.

"What did he say?" Gabrielle asked.

"Three more girls kidnapped from a neighboring village. That brings the total to six." Xena answered.

As they entered the edge of the woods, Xena paused, looking around.

"Who would do this?" Gabrielle asked.

"Shh. Listen."

"I don't hear anything." Gabrielle replied, wondering what Xena could be listening to.

"That's your answer. This is the Bacchae forest." Xena stated.

"The hunting grounds for Bacchus, the god of wine, and his Bacchae followers. So...we should hear Orpheus. His music is said to tame the Bacchae." Gabrielle said, recounting the legend.

"And without it, these woods aren't safe." Xena stated.

"So you think the Bacchae took those girls?"

"There's one way to find out." Xena said, heading off deeper into the woods with Gabrielle trailing closely behind her.

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"Did you bring me the head of Orpheus?" Bacchus asked.

"No, master. He got away." The bacchae responded.

"You fools! How could you let this happen?!"

"He and his idiot companion were rescued...by Xena." The bacchae explained.

"Xena...well, I will take care of her." Bacchus bellowed, grinning as he formulated his plan to get Xena out of the way.

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"Kronos, God of Time, I call on you. Come before me." Bacchus bellowed, raising his arms toward the heavens.

In a flash, Kronos appeared, looking toward Bacchus, "Why have you called me here?"

"When you were banished to Tartarus, I fought to free you." Bacchus explained.

Kronos nodded. "I owe you a debt. Have you called upon me to collect that debt?" Kronos asked.

"Yes, Kronos. My time to rise, to reign, is now. Someone is trying to stand in the way of my plans. Xena, the Warrior Princess, has entered the Bacchae woods. She has come to stop my festival. Banish her from this time, far into the future. There she can cause no further trouble for me." Bacchus stated.

Kronos considered the request thoughtfully for a moment. "I will grant your request. With this act, my debt to you is repaid."

Bacchus nodded in agreement.

"Do not call on me again." Kronos warned, and in a flash he was gone.

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"Do you think that the stories that people tell about the Bacchae are...are true?" Gabrielle asked tentatively.

"Some are; some aren't. What have you heard?"

"Well, they say that...a single bite from a bacchae can turn a young, innocent woman into a wild, soulless creature, whose only allegiance is to Bacchus...And, once bitten, she's lured into his lair to drink his blood. If she does, there's no way to save her. She becomes a bacchae -- forever."

When Xena didn't reply, Gabrielle continued. "They say that...the bacchae women can take many forms -- sometimes, just...roaming the forest as wolves. Driven with an unquenchable thirst for blood, they track their intended victim relentlessly...until they corner him. Then they tear him apart...limb from limb."

Still no response from Xena, so Gabrielle concluded, "But, if you ask me...I think the stories are exaggerated...you know? Just...made up to give people a really good scare."

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Xena stopped in her tracks, as if sensing an unseen presence. "Show yourself, Ares." She demanded.

Kronos materialized in front of the two women, laughing.

"That's not Ares." Gabrielle pointed out, hiding behind Xena.

"Smart girl." Kronos chuckled. "I am Kronos, God of Time."

Xena instinctively moved closer to Gabrielle. "What do you want Kronos?" Xena asked through clenched teeth.

"I have come to repay an old debt." Kronos replied. "How would you like to see the future, Warrior Princess?"

"No Thanks." Xena quipped. "I like the present just fine."

"That's too bad." Kronos answered flatly, raising his hand toward her.

Xena tackled Gabrielle and attempted to roll out of Kronos' line of fire. The god easily adapted his aim and a bright light shot from his fingertips. A portal opened close in front of Xena and Gabrielle. The pull of the vortex was intense, like the draw of a tornado. Xena grabbed onto the trunk of a nearby tree and Gabrielle grabbed onto Xena's leg.

"Hold on, Gabrielle." Xena pleaded, seeing Gabrielle struggling.

"I'm try-ing...Xena...I'm losing my grip." Gabrielle's voice shook with fear.

The portal seemed to grow wider, its pull stronger, with each passing moment. Xena took one of her hands from the tree trunk, reaching down toward Gabrielle. "Here, Gabrielle, take my hand."

Gabrielle tightened her grip on Xena's leg with one hand and with the other reached up toward Xena's outstretched hand. Green eyes locked on blue, as their fingertips touched, but before Xena could take hold, Gabrielle's grip gave way.

"Xena..." Gabrielle cried as she was pulled into the portal.

"Gabrielle..." Xena screamed. Without hesitation, Xena let go her hold on the tree and dove into the portal after her friend.

The last sound either of them heard from their world was Kronos' self-satisfied laughter.

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Buffy and Willow walked through the gates and into Restfield Cemetery, arm in arm, embarking on another night's patrol.

"So, have you dusted many vamps lately?" Willow asked casually.

"One or two. It's been pretty quiet. Whenever there's a new big bad coming up, it's usually slow."

"The calm before the storm, huh." Willow noted.

"Exactly. And with the mayor's ascension coming up...not surprising." Buffy added.

Buffy made her way over to a tree near the center of the cemetery. Satisfied with her view of the fresh graves nearby, she took a seat, leaning back against the tree, taking Willow's hand and pulling her down next to her.

"So, Will, what's going on with you?" Buffy asked, giving Willow her full attention.

"Oh, nothing really. The usual, you know...studying for finals and logging a lot of research time." Willow paused, lost in thought.

Seeing Willow's expression turn serious, Buffy asked, "Hey, what's up, Will?" Getting no response, Buffy raised her friend's chin and tried to catch her gaze. "Earth to Will. Come in, Will."

"Oh sorry, Buffy."

"S'okay. What's on your mind?"

"I was just wondering...do you think we'll be able to stop the mayor?" Willow asked quietly.

"Sure we will." Buffy reassured her, trying to sound more confident than she actually felt. "We've faced the end of the world how many times now?" Buffy asked jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. "We always win in the end, don't we?"

"Yeah, I guess we do." Willow answered, a small smile starting at the corners of her mouth. "Thanks, Buffy. Talking to you always makes me feel better." Willow added.

Buffy shook her head, dismissing the thank you. "That's what friends are for," Buffy said, looping her arm through Willow's. "Besides, I could never make it through any of this if it wasn't for you," Buffy admitted, "...and Xander of course." She quickly added.

A point of light emerged off in the distance, directly behind Buffy's back. As the portal opened, light flooded a large section of the cemetery.

Willow gazed in awe. "Uh, B-Buffy...what's that?" She asked, pointing over Buffy's shoulder.

"I don't know," Buffy answered, peering back at the spectacle. "Let's check it out." She said, getting to her feet and offering Willow a hand.

---------------------------------------------

Continued in Chapter 2


	2. Definitely Not Greece

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

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Chapter 2

The bard landed on the ground with a thud, with a certain warrior princess landing directly on top of her. Having released the travelers, the portal closed again.

"Are you alright, Gabrielle?" Xena asked, shifting her weight off of the bard and scanning Gabrielle for any sign of injury.

"I...think so." Gabrielle responded, more than a little shaken from the trip. "Where are we?"

"Looks like some sort of burial ground." Xena answered, getting to her feet and pulling Gabrielle up with her.

Gesturing to Willow to stay hidden, Buffy stepped from the shadows, stake in hand, to confront the two figures who had materialized before their eyes.

Sensing a presence behind them, Xena whirled around to face Buffy and drew her sword all in one swift motion.

Buffy gave a half-laugh. "Let me guess, Eliminati, right? You guys with your swords. Didn't your buddies tell you, Balthazar is dead? Yep, I killed him. So, you're wasting your time here."

Xena eyed Buffy cautiously. "What's she talking about?" Gabrielle whispered, peering around Xena at the strange girl approaching them.

"I don't know." Xena admitted. "I don't know who you are," Xena said to Buffy, "but I don't want to have to hurt you." Xena lowered her sword to her side, hoping the small blonde would see it as an offer of peace.

This elicited another laugh from Buffy, who stopped about six feet in front of Xena, at the ready. "You don't want to hurt me? Ha, that's a new one."

Unable to be still any longer and not feeling threatened by the girl in front of them, Gabrielle stepped from behind the warrior. "Hi, I'm Gabrielle. My friend here is Xena. We mean you no harm...really."

Willow stepped out of the shadows and approached the group, certain that she could see sincerity in the smaller woman's eyes, she said, "Hey, Buffy, I think these two are okay."

Buffy visibly relaxed and pocketed her stake. Xena sheathed her sword and cautiously approached the slayer. Buffy considered the quiet woman in front of her for a moment and finally extended her hand, "I'm Buffy."

Xena accepted the handshake in the traditional manner for her -- laying her arm next to the slayer's and clasping Buffy's forearm near her elbow.

Buffy raised an eyebrow at the unconventional greeting, but tried to follow Xena's lead. Willow introduced herself with a small wave, but made no move toward the large, leather-clad warrior. She did, however, try to offer Gabrielle a friendly smile.

Gabrielle decided to take the initiative and stepped up to address both girls before them. "It seems that my friend and I have lost our way. Can you tell us...where are we?" She asked slowly, looking back and forth from Buffy to Willow, mentally noting how oddly they were dressed, how strangely they talked.

Always one to try to help, Willow replied. "Uh, you're in Restfield Cemetery...in Sunnydale."

"Where's that?" Xena asked, her eyes narrowing.

"California." Buffy replied with a small chuckle of disbelief at the blank looks on the two women's faces.

"What is California?" Gabrielle asked meaningfully, "Or-or _where_ is California?"

"Look," Buffy interjected, "tell us where you're from and maybe we can clear this up,"

"I'm from Amphipolis," Xena stated, "and she's from Poteidia." She added, pointing to Gabrielle.

"Pota-what?" Buffy asked, then added with a smirk, "And what's with the outfits?"

"What d'ya mean?" Xena asked defensively.

Buffy shook her head and Willow took a stab at diplomacy. "She just means that your clothes are, well, a little...out of date."

"Yeah, you're lucky I didn't stake the two of you." Buffy added. 

Gabrielle looked at Xena, confused. Xena seemed to ignore Buffy's comment, instead looking around thoughtfully, noting their surroundings. She looked at the two girls in front of her, both wearing some strange sort of men's clothing. Then, she looked beyond them in the distance noting the bright lights that she reasoned did not resemble campfires.

Dismissing Buffy and Willow as if they weren't there, she took Gabrielle by the arm and pulled her a few paces away from the two strangers. "Gabrielle," she said leaning toward the bard, "Kronos...I think he sent us to some place in the future."

"That's impossible, Xena." Gabrielle laughed, dismissing the idea with a shake of her head.

"Look around, Gabrielle." Xena replied dryly. Then turning back to Buffy, she insisted, "Who is the ruler of this land?"

"Huh?" Buffy laughed, shooting a look at Willow as if to say, 'These two are crazy, huh?'

Willow, trying to process what she had overheard the two women saying a moment before, stepped toward the warrior. "Excuse me. Did you say Kronos? As in Kronos, the Greek God of Time?"

"Yes. Do you know him?" Xena asked hopefully.

"Know him? Uh...not exactly. I learned about him in my mythology class last year."

"Kronos, he sent us here." Xena continued, directing the statement at no one in particular. "This place...it isn't Greece, is it? Who rules this land?" She asked urgently, taking another step forward, invading Willow's personal space.

Willow shrank back next to Buffy to escape the steel-blue gaze of the warrior princess. Unlike Willow, Buffy was not intimidated. "Definitely not Greece." Buffy replied matter-of-factly. Willow shook her head, confirming Buffy's statement.

Unnoticed by the group, a newborn vamp had slithered from a nearby grave. Eyeing the women from behind a tombstone, the hungry young vamp considered which one would make a nice first meal. Gabrielle was within reach and, he noted, looked like a tender, young morsel indeed.

In an instant, he grabbed Gabrielle from behind, catching her completely off guard. Her sharp intake of breath and innocent whimper only furthered his excitement as he anticipated tasting the blood of the sweet virgin in his arms.

Xena snapped into action, drawing her sword and facing the man, demanding in an icy tone, "Let her go."

The vamp yanked Gabrielle's head back to expose the sensitive flesh of her neck, then offered a toothy, evil grin as his mouth descended toward its target.

Instinctively, Gabrielle brought her leg up behind her, kicking the vamp squarely in a particularly sensitive place. She scrambled free of his grasp.

"Bacchae!" Xena ground out, her voice low and filled with hate for the demon who had threatened Gabrielle.

The vamp recovered quickly though, catching Gabrielle by the hair before she managed to get out of reach.

To the surprise of warrior, bard, and vamp alike, a certain petite blonde stepped into the fray, planting a roundhouse kick in the vamp's face that not only freed Gabrielle from his grasp but also sent him flying several feet before he landed with a thud against a nearby tombstone. 

"I'm sorry, the kitchen's closed." Buffy quipped with sugary sweetness, earning her an approving giggle from Willow and confused looks from the others.

The vamp scrambled to his feet, eyeing Buffy as she reached into her leather jacket and pulled out her stake, casually walking toward him. "Come on. Let's get this over with." She said, looking bored.

Stupid or desperate, the vamp lunged at Buffy who took him down with one punch and followed up with a swift stake to his chest. Casually dusting off her hands, she stood up with a smile and received Willow's victory high-five.

Understandably, Xena and Gabrielle watched these events with a mixture of confusion, surprise and respect.

"You guys okay?" Buffy asked, surveying the warrior and bard.

Gabrielle simply nodded -- one of those rare moments where the bard found herself at a loss for words.

"Thanks for saving my friend." Xena said sincerely.

"All in a day's work." Buffy said, looking up to meet the tall warrior's blue eyes.

Finding her voice again, the bard's curiosity surfaced. "What type of work do you do exactly? Do you fight bacchae?"

"That was no bacchae," Xena interjected, "Bacchus doesn't have male followers."

"Hey, Will, help me out here." Buffy begged. "Any idea what they're talking about? It's all Greek to me." She added, smiling at her own joke.

"Not funny, Buffy." Willow said, but couldn't stop herself from laughing at the pun. "Actually, it is Greek." She continued, trying to be serious, "Bacchus...he's a Greek God too, isn't he?" she asked the warrior princess.

"God of Wine." Xena replied. "A real sleaze."

"Geez, Will, I'm glad that one of us pays attention in school." Buffy remarked, genuinely impressed. Willow smiled at the compliment.

"But if that wasn't a bacchae...what was it?" Gabrielle asked, looking concerned.

"That...was a vampire...which brings us back to what I do...I kill vampires...like the one that attacked you." Buffy stated, gesturing to Gabrielle, then purposefully pocketing her stake. Seeing their confused expressions, Buffy turned to Willow, "Hey Will, you wanna explain it to them?" To Xena and Gabrielle she said, "She likes to tell the story."

"Sure, Buffy." Willow agreed. "Let's sit and I'll tell you all about it." She said to the two women.

The group settled on the steps of a large family tomb and Willow explained all about the chosen one. As she completed her story, with much more flair than Giles, Xena spoke up.

"But you're so...small. You don't look very strong." The warrior said looking at Buffy skeptically. "How do you do it?"

"Super Slayer Strength." Buffy replied. "It's just a slayer thing."

"And all the slayers have been girls?" Gabrielle inquired, recalling the point from Willow's story, 'One girl in all the world.'

"Yep." Willow confirmed.

"Fascinating..." Gabrielle said shaking her head, trying to commit all of the details to memory so that she could one day write a scroll about this adventure.

"Snap out of it, Gabrielle." Xena said a little impatiently, "It's late. We have to set up camp somewhere and find our way back to Greece tomorrow. We have to stop Bacchus." Xena added, looking around, suddenly feeling very out of her element.

"But Xena...we're in the future. It's too late to stop Bacchus now, isn't it?" Gabrielle asked softly.

"I don't know how yet, but we've got to find a way to undo what Kronos did. We've got to get back to our time." Xena replied with a hint of desperation in her voice.

Looking first to Buffy, then at the warrior and bard, Willow offered, "Maybe we can help you." She felt an unexplainable connection to the two women in front of them.

"A map would be nice." Xena admitted.

Buffy and Willow looked at each other, both feeling sympathetic to the travelers' predicament. "Look," Buffy said, "You don't understand. You can't exactly _walk_ to Greece. Where you're at now...Greece is half a world away, thousands of miles, across an ocean."

"A-and...the world is...different than it was in your time." Willow added, sharing a brief, knowing glance with Buffy. She didn't know exactly what point in time the women had come from, but judging by their clothing alone, it was safe to say that their world was very different indeed. Electricity, telephones, cars, computers...her mental list just kept growing.

"Does Caesar still reign in Rome?" Xena asked, hoping to gauge how far into the future Kronos had sent them.

Shaking her head a simple no, Buffy then looked questioningly at Willow who searched her memory for the timeframe when Caesar had ruled. "That's sometime B.C., Buffy," Willow whispered, her eyes widening as the realization hit her. "More than two thousand years ago." She added, in a whisper. Seeing the confused looks of the two women staring at her, Willow struggled to put it into terms they could understand. "Caesar hasn't ruled for...for probably...100 generations now."

Warrior and bard alike looked speechless to say the least. Buffy was quick to respond, "Hey, don't worry. We'll find a way to help you out."

"Yeah," Willow reassured, catching Gabrielle's gaze. "We'll work it out."

"Hey, Will, think you can work a little magic or something?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, that's it." Willow replied. "Maybe I can find a spell to reverse what Kronos did."

"Do you have special powers too?" Gabrielle asked of Willow.

"I...study magic...kind of like the druids from your time." Willow answered. "I'm sure if we do some research, we'll find something that will help."

"We appreciate your help." Xena said, sincerely grateful.

"Yes. I guess we're lucky that you came along when you did." Gabrielle added.

Realizing that it was past midnight, Buffy turned to Xena. "Right now, I think we need to find you some place to stay for the night. Tomorrow we can start the research...that is...after we find you two something else to wear. You can't go around looking like that." She said, staring wide-eyed at Xena's armor and weaponry.

"Yeah...blending is good." Willow agreed, nodding. "And you definitely stand out in that outfit." She added, chuckling nervously.

"You're probably right." Xena admitted.

" We can blend..." Gabrielle offered. "Right, Xena?"

"Sure." Xena affirmed. "So, we should probably set up camp for the night, Gabrielle." She added, getting to her feet.

"But we don't really have any of our supplies." Gabrielle pointed out. "It figures. The least Kronos could have done was zap our bedrolls into the future too. Gods are so inconsiderate sometimes." She said, annoyed.

"You can stay at my house." Willow offered. "My parents are never home. There's plenty of room. And...you can't sleep out here."

"Trust me." Buffy added, smiling. "You don't want to camp out in Sunnydale. Camping on the hellmouth is definitely a no-no."

"What's a hellmouth?" Gabrielle asked, causing Buffy to chuckle in response.

"A hellmouth...that's harder to explain. But...people who stay out at night in Sunnydale...they usually don't survive until morning." Willow explained.

"Rough place, huh?" Xena commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Let's just put it this way," Buffy answered, "That vamp that attacked your friend earlier...guys like him are the least of your worries out here."

"I'm sure we'll be okay. Xena's the greatest warrior of our time you know." Gabrielle said, proudly. "She's fought slavers and blood-thirsty warlords, entire armies even, and she always defeats them in the end."

Xena interrupted, "Gabrielle..."

"I know, I know. We don't have time for stories." Gabrielle answered, sensing the warrior princess' impatience.

"If the offer is still open, we'll stay with you." Xena stated, turning to Willow.

"Of course." Willow nodded.

"A sleep-over at Will's it is." Buffy confirmed, rising from her seat on the crypt's step and offering Willow a hand.

"On the way to my house, we can talk more about...what it's like here. So you can be prepared, you know." Willow suggested.

------------------------------------------------------- Continued in Chapter 3


	3. Welcome To My World

Author's Note: Please read and review. I'd love to know what you think of the story. Also, feel free to email me with any questions or comments if you like.

* * *

Chapter 3 - Welcome to My World

The walk to Willow's seemed to pass quickly. Willow went into full babble-mode explaining many aspects of life in the modern world. Recalling how Buffy had reacted to cars the Halloween when Ethan's spell turned them into their costumes, Willow began with a short explanation about automobiles.

Still, once during their walk, the sight and sound of a passing car sent Xena into battle mode. She drew her sword and took defensive stance at the curb as Gabrielle hid behind her. Buffy and Willow tried not to giggle and assured the two that there was nothing to worry about.

The warrior and bard listened intently to Willow as they walked, while staring in awe at the paved roadways, the streetlights and the elaborate homes, trying to adjust to this strange, new world. By the time they reached her house, Willow had covered a wide variety of topics, trying to predict what the warrior and bard would most need to know in order to adapt to life in 1999. As she dug in her pocket for her house key, Willow paused, looking at the two women, "Kind of a lot to think about, huh?" She admitted.

"No big…it'll just take some getting used to." Buffy added.

Once inside, Willow gave them a brief tour. In the bathroom, she explained how to use the toilet much to the amazement of the warrior and bard. Showing them to the guestroom, she said, "I hope you don't mind sharing…if it's a problem, one of you could sleep downstairs."

"This will do just fine." Xena replied. "Thanks."

"If you need anything, we'll be in my room…just down the hall." Willow added. "So…I guess we'll see you in the morning then."

"Thank you…for everything." Gabrielle said.

"It's nothing." Willow assured them, saying goodnight.

"Hey, Buff…you think they'll be okay?" Willow asked, propping herself up on the bed, meeting the slayer's gaze.

"Yeah, Will, I do. From what they said, they've faced a lot together and they've always made it through."

"Kind of like us." Willow noted, smiling dreamily up at Buffy.

"Now that you mention it…totally like us." Buffy agreed, hazel eyes locking with green, radiating her genuine affection for the hacker. 

Feeling suddenly jittery under the slayer's warm gaze, Willow looked away. "So, uh, what are we going to tell Giles and the rest of the gang about them?" She asked.

"As little as possible." Buffy replied with a small chuckle, reclining on the bed then, stretching out beside her best friend, still regarding Willow closely.

Willow laughed a nervous little laugh, vaguely noting that her mouth felt as dry as the Sahara, and promptly launched into full babble-mode. "Yeah…you're probably right. I mean, how would we introduce them anyway? 'Uh, gee guys, these are our new friends, Xena and Gabrielle, we found them in the cemetery and, by the way, they're from ancient Greece, like 2000 years ago. Ha, and _oh yeah_, they just appeared out of thin air from this beam of light. And they said that _The God of Time_ sent them here.'" Willow concluded, rolling her eyes for effect as she finished. Stealing a quick glance at Buffy, she saw that the slayer's smile had grown wider and the glint in her eyes brighter than even before.

"How I love Willow-babble." Buffy said with an easy smile. Feeling self-conscious, Willow looked at her then, searching for some sign that Buffy was making fun of her geekiness. Seeing the unspoken question in Willow's eyes, the slayer clarified, "I'm serious, Will." Lifting the redhead's chin to look into her shy green eyes, Buffy added, "Promise me something?"

"Sure, Buffy. Anything." Willow answered without hesitation, hearing the sudden note of seriousness in her best friend's voice.

"Just don't ever change. You're perfect just the way you are." Buffy said slowly, forcing Willow to meet her gaze. A deep blush crept over the redhead's fair cheeks, signaling the slayer that her words had hit home.

"Aww, Buffy." Was all Willow could manage, but her eyes expressed all that she couldn't verbalize - a silent thank you, a deep trust, and all of her love for her best friend.

Trying to lighten the mood then, Buffy noted with a laugh, "Besides, there are _plenty_ of Cordelias in the world." That elicited a small giggle from Willow. Giving her friend's hand a gentle squeeze, Buffy added sincerely, "But there's only one Willow."

The hacker offered a shy smile. "Thanks, Buffy…you're the best."

* * *

In the guestroom, Gabrielle began the nightly ritual of helping Xena remove her armor. Both women were quiet, lost in thought about the day's events. When sword, chakram, and armor were piled on a nearby dresser, Xena finished undressing down to her sleeping shift and sat down on the edge of the bed. Gabrielle knelt in front of her to work the laces of Xena's boots.

After removing the second boot, Gabrielle paused, looking up at Xena. "Dinar for your thoughts." She offered, meeting the warrior's distant blue eyes.

"Just thinking about what I'd do if I could get my hands on Kronos right about now." Xena answered with a wicked grin, eliciting a laugh from her friend.

"At least we met someone here who can help us." Gabrielle replied, trying to be optimistic.

"I don't know, Gabrielle. They're just kids. And involving them…might be a mistake."

"That's what you thought when you met me." Gabrielle pointed out. "Maybe I was just a kid then, but I'm not anymore. Meeting you…changed my life, Xena." The bard continued, "Besides, this is a different world. Did you see what Buffy did to that guy who attacked me? She's some kind of…warrior, like you. Those two may be young…but I think they can take care of themselves."

"You may be right." Xena conceded.

"Huh. Did you just agree with me, Xena?" The bard teased, settling on the bed beside the warrior.

"Ah, don't let it go to your head." Xena ground out, though a smile played at the corners of her mouth. Gabrielle smiled, letting the subject drop, and bent to take off her boots.

"We should get some sleep." Xena said, climbing under the covers. "I think tomorrow's gonna be a long day."

Gabrielle climbed in beside her. "Okay. Goodnight, Xena."

"G'night, Gabrielle."

* * *

Xena fell asleep easily, obviously exhausted from her trip through time. She woke early as the first light spilled into the guestroom window. It took a moment for her to remember where she was and the events that had led her to this place, to this strange bed. She turned onto her side to look at Gabrielle.

Most mornings she was the first to wake and she often took the opportunity to gaze at the bard. She smiled warmly, drawn to the strawberry blonde's innocence, marveling at how peaceful she looked when she was sleeping. After a few stolen glances, Xena finally slipped out of bed to get her typical early start on the day.

Down the hall, a similar scene played out in Willow's room. Buffy woke, the scent of lilacs greeting her, and she smiled a contented smile as she noted that it was Willow lying next to her. As the sleep left her body and reality dawned, Buffy opened her eyes and found herself in a rather compromising position. She realized that she must have wrapped herself around Willow sometime during the night. And while Willow seemed to be sleeping rather contentedly in her arms, the slayer silently berated herself for what her friend might think if she were to wake to find her there. Holding her breath, she carefully slipped her arms from around the sleeping redhead and made her way back to her side of the bed.

* * *

Breakfast brought more technological surprises for the warrior and bard. While Gabrielle marveled at everything in the kitchen, Xena seemed most preoccupied with the refrigerator that held more varieties of food than she could name and the stove that gave instant fire with the turn of a dial.

Though leftover pizza or doughnuts were a typical breakfast for Buffy and Willow after one of their sleepovers, they decided on more traditional pancakes for their hungry guests. Not feeling particularly confident about her cooking skill, Willow watched hopefully as the warrior and bard dug into the loads of food she had set before them on the kitchen table.

"This is delicious." Gabrielle assured her between mouthfuls. Xena nodded her head in agreement and offered a grateful smile without stopping her assault on her plate of food. Buffy cast an approving glance at Willow before turning her attention to her own plate.

* * *

After breakfast and another crash course in the ways of the modern world, Willow turned to Xena and Gabrielle, "Now, we need to find you two something less conspicuous to wear." After thinking for a moment, she added. "You look about my size, Gabrielle. I'm sure I've got something you can wear."

"What about Xena?" Buffy asked skeptically, glancing at Willow and gesturing to the tall 5' 11" warrior.

"Uh…I don't know." Willow admitted. "Maybe something of my dad's will fit?" She offered.

"Alright…can we just get this over with?" Xena ground out, clearly not pleased at the prospect of a wardrobe change, let alone wearing some strange man's clothing.

A short time later, Willow had found a pair of brown corduroy pants and green T-shirt for Gabrielle to wear and was rummaging through her parents' closet in search of something for Xena. She finally settled on a pair of black jeans and a dark blue button-down dress shirt - the only type of shirt Mr. Rosenberg seemed to own.

Willow and Buffy waited in the hallway while the warrior and bard changed their clothes. Gabrielle emerged first, looking a little uncertain in her new clothes.

"You look great." Buffy assured her.

"Yeah…you look better in my clothes than I do." Willow noted, suddenly feeling less than gorgeous next to Gabrielle.

"She looks good, Will…but not _that_ good." Buffy interjected with an easy smile, then cleared her throat nervously, hoping her friend hadn't noticed the tone she'd heard in her own voice.

Happy for the distraction, Buffy turned her attention to Xena who was entering the hallway muttering a few choice words under her breath, clearly unimpressed with her new outfit. Xena stopped in her tracks, eyebrows raised, when she caught a glimpse of Gabrielle. The warrior looked from her friend to herself and gave a small laugh. "We look ridiculous." She noted.

"Gee thanks, Xena." Gabrielle replied sarcastically, approaching the warrior.

"Sorry Gabrielle. I didn't mean anything by it." Xena offered. "Are you sure that thing is gonna hold you?" Xena added in an almost whisper, pointing to Gabrielle's breasts, which looked as if they might burst out of the borrowed shirt.

Gabrielle batted Xena's hand away and laughed. "Oh…you're one to talk. Look at you…you've done this up all wrong." She said, straightening Xena's shirt collar and beginning to unbutton the lopsided shirt and re-button it correctly.

Willow and Buffy watched the exchange with interest, both surprised at the familiarity between the two friends. The warrior and bard continued to bicker while Gabrielle righted Xena's shirt.

When Gabrielle finished the task, she had buttoned Xena's shirt all the way to her neck and stood back looking very pleased with herself while Xena glowered down at her. "I can't breathe in this thing." Xena reported through clenched teeth.

"Let me give you a tip." Buffy offered with a chuckle. "A few buttons…that's all the difference between geek and hottie." Xena stared at her, clearly not understanding.

"Look." Buffy said, stepping forward and unbuttoning the top three buttons of Xena's shirt, the last of which offered a glimpse of the warrior princess' ample cleavage. "Like this."

Buffy stood back to give Willow and Gabrielle a look. "What do you think girls? Hottie?"

Willow nodded. "Totally."

"That's good…much more your style, Xena." Gabrielle agreed, looking her friend up and down, her eyes lingering at the exposed cleavage at the opening of Xena's shirt, a smile tugging playfully at her lips. "Much better."

"Alright, that's enough." Xena said impatiently. "At least I can breathe now…but where am I supposed to carry my weapons?"

"You're not." Buffy countered. "You're trying to fit in here, remember?"

"But I need my sword and chakram." Xena insisted.

"No, you don't. I don't know what it's like where you come from, but here weapons are kind of frowned upon. And you can't just go around killing people."

"Oh, don't worry. Xena doesn't kill anyone unless she has to." Gabrielle said seriously.

"That's reassuring." Buffy responded with a bit of sarcasm.

Willow stepped up to try to help Buffy explain. "Look…people are different here. Things are different here. You shouldn't have to fight anyone at all…except maybe a vampire."

"And vampires are already dead…so no harm in dusting them." Buffy added with a smile.

The phone rang and Xena assumed a battle stance, looking around for the source of the sound. Buffy gave a half-laugh and Willow explained, "It's just the telephone. I told you about that…remember."

Xena relaxed a little and the group followed Willow downstairs where she answered the phone.

"Hello…Oh, hi Giles. Yeah, Buffy's here. Sorry we're late. We'll be right over." Willow hung up the phone and turned to Buffy, "We're late. I guess we better get going."

---------------------------------------------------- Continued in Chapter 4


	4. Meeting The Gang

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

---------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4

As they approached the school, Willow explained that there was no school today because it was Saturday, so the only people they should see were Giles and the gang.

"It's best if we don't tell them about your situation." Buffy said seriously. "Just follow our lead. You don't have to say anything." Xena and Gabrielle both nodded in agreement as Willow led the group through the library doors.

"Ah, good of you to join us." Giles said, addressing Buffy as she entered.

"Sorry we're late, Giles, but we ran into some friends." Buffy said, gesturing to the warrior and bard. "Xena, Gabrielle...this is Giles, Xander, Cordelia, and Oz."

"Who's he?" Xena asked, gesturing to the dark-haired man that Buffy had neglected to mention in her introductions.

"Oh, he's not important." Buffy said with a playful smile.

"Wesley Wyndam-Price" Wesley said in his typical pretentious way, stepping forward to offer his hand to Xena. She looked down at him unimpressed before reluctantly extending her hand.

Wesley took her hand and shook it. Xena followed his lead and he visibly winced at the warrior's firm grip before reclaiming his hand and lamely retreating to the other side of the room. Willow and Gabrielle watched the scene, snickering together in one corner while Buffy gave Xena an approving nod. Giles and the rest of the gang looked on as the new arrivals pulled up some chairs and settled in around the table.

"It's nice to meet you all." Gabrielle offered, smiling.

"Likewise." Giles replied. "Now then, I called this meeting to discuss the mayor...Buffy are you sure your friends here wouldn't be more comfortable outside? We wouldn't want to bore them, now would we?" He added, not wanting to give away Buffy's identity to the two newcomers.

"It's okay, Giles." Buffy assured him. "They already know I'm the slayer."

"Perfect." Giles replied with some annoyance. "Is there anyone left in this town who doesn't know?" He added, pulling off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It's no big. Really Giles. A vamp attacked Gabrielle and they saw me stake him." Buffy explained. "And Xena here can hold her own in a fight, so I thought maybe she could help us while she's here."

"Well...alright then, I guess we should get on with the meeting." Giles said, continuing on. "So, here's what we know. It appears that the mayor cannot be killed between now and his ascension. And to make matters worse, Faith has switched sides. She's working with the mayor."

"Who is Faith?" Gabrielle asked, leaning over to whisper quietly to Willow.

"She's the other slayer." Willow whispered back.

"I thought you said there was only one." Gabrielle replied, confused.

"It's complicated...I'll have to explain later." Willow whispered back.

Giles continued. "We need to learn all that we can about this...Ascension, what it involves, when it will take place, and so on. We have to find a way to stop the mayor. Meanwhile, I urge you all to be very careful. Faith may have been your friend at one time, but now..." He paused.

"What Giles is trying to say," Buffy interjected, "is that Faith is a real head case, total loony-bin material."

"Well, yes, I guess that's one way of putting it Buffy." Giles responded, then addressed the group once again. "That being the case, you should avoid her if possible. She is...unpredictable and quite dangerous."

"So, what do you need us to do, G-man?" Xander piped in.

"Research." Giles answered. "We need to find any information we can about the Ascension."

"Great! Research." Xander replied, with mock enthusiasm, heading for the stacks.

"If that's all, then I really should be going." Cordelia added, standing up and straightening her skirt. "I've got some shopping to do."

"It was nice meeting you...Cordelia, isn't it?" Gabrielle said, politely.

"Yes. Nice meeting you too." Cordelia replied looking down at the bard. "Too bad about your outfit though. You must shop at the same store the little dweeb here shops at." She added, gesturing to Willow while taking her parting shot.

Gabrielle looked slightly taken aback, caught off guard by the cruel comment. Xena stood then, and approached Cordelia, stopping mere inches away and looking down at the much smaller brunette. "That wasn't very nice, now was it? I believe that you owe my friends here an apology." The warrior princess stated slowly.

"She's not worth it, Xena." Gabrielle assured her.

"Yeah, that's just Cordy being Cordy." Willow agreed, shrugging her shoulders.

Cordelia's normally calm, confident exterior seemed to betray her for a moment under Xena's intimidating glare, but she quickly recovered. At Gabrielle and Willow's prodding, Xena took a step back as if dismissing the young brunette.

Cordelia rolled her eyes and turned to Buffy, "What's her childhood trauma?" She asked in true Cordelia style.

"You're on your own in this one, Cordy." Buffy answered, shaking her head at Cordelia's thoughtless decision to challenge the warrior.

With that, Cordelia sidestepped the tall woman in front of her without another word and made her way toward the doors. "Nice girl." Xena remarked as Cordelia left.

"She can be a little hard to take sometimes, but she's not all bad." Buffy explained.

"Well, Buffy, if that's all, then you and I have a great deal of work to do." Giles interrupted. "You know you've missed two training sessions already this week." He pointed out.

"Alright, let's do it then." Buffy agreed. "But I'm telling you...I'm in great shape."

"What do you want us to do?" Gabrielle asked.

"I don't know. You can watch if you want to. And maybe Willow can explain more to you about the situation with the mayor." Buffy suggested.

"Sure, Buff." Willow agreed.

While the rest of the group settled in one corner of the library intent on research, Giles and Buffy pulled out some mats and sparring equipment and Willow led Xena and Gabrielle to some nearby chairs and began explaining in more detail about the mayor.

Wesley approached Buffy and Giles. "I can handle this." He insisted, dismissing Giles. Giles stopped and looked at Buffy, who made no comment, but looked at Wesley unimpressed. "I am your watcher now, Buffy." He said. "It's my job to oversee your training."

"Fine." Buffy said. "Put these on." She added, handing him the protective pads that Giles usually wore.

"Excellent." Wesley responded, glancing at Giles who retreated to a nearby chair to watch.

Gabrielle listened intently as Willow explained that the mayor was some type of demon planning to take over Sunnydale. She told them some of their history with Faith and how she was now working for the mayor. Xena listened too, all the while watching Buffy's training. Not one to sit on the sidelines for long, Xena was growing antsy by the time Willow's story was winding down.

"Let's take a break." Wesley offered, clearly out of breath after being on the receiving end of several minutes of the slayer's enthusiastic punches and kicks. Even with the pads, he couldn't handle Buffy's assault for long.

"I'm fine, Wes. We can keep going." Buffy said with a smile. "I'm just starting to get warmed up actually."

"No, really." Wesley insisted, gasping for air. "Let's take a break."

"If you're up for it, we could do a little sparring." Xena suggested, looking hopeful, stepping up to Buffy as Wesley collapsed in a nearby chair. "I'm not much for sitting around." Xena admitted.

"That's an excellent idea." Wesley said, thankful to have a replacement. "Just take it easy on her Buffy."

Xena laughed at that. "Don't worry. I can hold my own." She assured them.

"Okay." Buffy agreed. "This could be fun."

Willow and Gabrielle watched as the two faced off. Xena waited, allowing Buffy to make the first move. Buffy finally took the initiative and offered up a series of soft kicks that Xena easily blocked.

"I'm impressed." The slayer said genuinely before continuing her assault. This time, she came at the warrior with a punch. Xena caught it midair and flipped the slayer, who landed on her back on the mat at the warrior's feet. Willow gasped in surprise.

"Nice moves." Buffy said, accepting the hand Xena offered. On her feet once again, Buffy noted several new pairs of eyes watching the events from across the room.

"I know you can do better than that." Xena commented. "I've seen for myself what you can do. Stop holding back. Trust me...I can take it."

"Super slayer strength, remember?" Buffy pointed out. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I'd like to see you try, little girl." Xena challenged with a wicked laugh.

That set the slayer into motion. She came at the warrior with a solid roundhouse kick, which Xena again blocked, though with more difficulty this time around. She followed up with a quick series of punches. The warrior princess managed to block all but one that landed squarely in her midsection, sending Xena back a step.

Buffy stopped then, worried that she had gone too far and hurt Xena. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Oh I'm just fine." Xena answered with a gleam in her eye. "Nice shot by the way."

"Thanks. Maybe we should call it a day, huh?" Buffy offered.

"Oh no. We're just getting started." Xena insisted. "It'll take more than one punch to do me in."

"Your friend...she's amazing." Gabrielle said to Willow. "Most of the men I've seen can't even touch Xena in a fight."

"Yeah, Buffy's the best. A lot of people underestimate her. They think because she's small or because she's a girl that she's no threat. Big mistake underestimating Buffy. She's fought some of the biggest, meanest demons you can imagine. She's saved my life more than once too."

"I know what you mean. Xena's always fighting impossible odds and winning. And she looks out for me too. She's saved me more times than I can count. We're incredibly lucky to have friends like them." Gabrielle mused.

"You're so right." Willow agreed. "I've only known Buffy for two and a half years and it feels like I've known her forever."

Nodding her head in understanding, Gabrielle said thoughtfully, "Xena and I have traveled together for just over a year now, but I can hardly remember what my life was like before I met her."

The hacker and bard turned their attention back to their friends just in time to see Xena make her move toward the slayer -- two punches followed by a series of kicks, all of which Buffy cleanly blocked. Buffy's counter-attack fared no better as the warrior princess blocked the assault with apparent ease.

Wesley, still trying to regain control of his breathing, watched in complete awe of the two women in front of him. After a few minutes of watching the two trade blows, neither one able to best the other, he called the sparring to a halt.

"Yes, I think that's quite enough for today." Giles said taking the reigns from Wesley again. He looked from Buffy to her beautiful dark-haired sparring partner. "Buffy, might I ask, exactly how did you two meet?" Giles asked curiously.

"Oh, we're old friends." Buffy said. "I'm sure I told you about her."

"No. I don't recall you ever mentioning Xena before." Giles replied. "I think I would remember that." He insisted.

"Well, anyway, Xena and Gabrielle don't live around here. They're from...Illinois. I met them there when I was visiting my aunt."

"Yeah. We're just...visiting for a few days." Xena offered. "So, what's next?" She added, changing the subject.

"Well, I think they've got the research under control here." Buffy said, "So, why don't Willow and I show you two around Sunnydale. What do you say, Will? You up for it?"

"Yeah, sure. That sounds like fun."

"Great. Let's book." Buffy said, heading for the door. "We'll talk to you later Giles."

"Oh, well, okay Buffy. I'll let you know if we find anything here." Giles said.

"Hey, Buff...will we see you gals at the Bronze tonight? Dingoes are playing, right Oz?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, we're on tonight." Oz confirmed.

"We wouldn't miss it. Would we, Will?" Buffy said, looping her arm through Willow's.

"Nope. We'll be there." Willow agreed as Buffy pulled her toward the library doors with Xena and Gabrielle following.

On their way across the schoolyard, Buffy turned to Willow. "I feel the need for more sugar than the human body can handle. What do you say we stop for mochas?"

"What are mochas?" Gabrielle asked.

"Mochas? Well...mochas can't be explained." Buffy said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah..." Willow agreed. "More chololatey goodness than you can imagine. I can't believe you've never had one. I mean, I guess I can believe it. I'm sure they didn't have mochas 2000 years ago." She said, with an adorable smile. "But still, it's hard to imagine life without mochas."

"That settles it." Buffy said, steering the group toward The Espresso Pump. "While you two are here, we'll make sure you get to experience some of the great things about life in 1999...starting with mochas."

"That's a really nice gesture, but what about our little problem?" Xena asked, preoccupied, as usual, with getting some work done.

"Don't worry. After we get our mocha fix, we can head back to my house and get right to work on it." Willow offered.

Gabrielle recognized the tension in the warrior. "Come on, Xena. Live a little." The bard urged, putting her arm around Xena. "It'll be fun. Besides, you can always worry when we get back home. When will we ever have another chance like this? We get to experience life in the future. It's an incredible gift if you think about it." Gabrielle concluded.

Xena looked unconvinced. "Just _try_ to relax and have a little fun. For me?" Gabrielle requested, meeting her best friend's blue eyes.

"Alright, you win. I'll try." Xena conceded, unable to resist Gabrielle's infectious enthusiasm.

---------------------------------------------- Continued in Chapter 5


	5. Mochas & More

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5

The mochas were a hit. Gabrielle enthusiastically drank hers while Xena took only a cautious sip or two, unaccustomed to such a sweet drink. Buffy, Willow and Gabrielle chatted animatedly while Xena looked on.

"Mochas are wonderful." Gabrielle exclaimed, looking a little disappointed as she finished the last of her drink.

"You can have the rest of mine, Gabrielle." Xena offered, smiling at the bard's enjoyment of the drink. "I'm not really that thirsty."

"Are you sure, Xena?" Gabrielle asked.

"It's all yours." Xena replied, sitting the cup down in front of her friend.

---------------------------------------------

About an hour later, the group was back at Willow's house, heading upstairs to Willow's room. "Buffy, I've got some spell books that you can look through if you want. And I will go online and search for any information I can find on reversal spells."

"What do you want us to do?" Xena asked, anxiously.

"I don't know." Willow replied. "There's not really much you can do to help with this."

"Why don't you guys just relax and watch some TV or something." Buffy suggested.

"Actually, it might be nice to wash up a little." Gabrielle said.

"Yeah...a bath would be great." Xena agreed.

"Sure." Willow said, leading the two women to the bathroom down the hall. Buffy watched as Willow took a fresh bar of soap from the cabinet and handed it to Gabrielle, then offered a quick demonstration of how the faucets and shower in the bathtub worked.

"Great. Thanks." Xena said, confident that she and Gabrielle could figure it out.

"Okay. Just make yourselves at home. There's plenty of hot water." Willow said. "Oh, and let me get you some fresh towels." She added, heading out of the bathroom.

Xena and Gabrielle followed Willow down the hall to the linen closet and took the towels that she offered them. "If you need anything else, just let us know." Willow said as she and Buffy headed to her room at the end of the hall.

"Hot water...flowing right into the bathtub any time you want it. Can you believe it, Xena?" Gabrielle said as they re-entered the bathroom.

"It's different here alright. No horses far as I can tell. Fire to cook on without wood. And all the hot water you could ever want just flows out of the wall into the bathtub." Xena replied, shaking her head at the wonder of it all.

"It's wonderful, isn't it?" Gabrielle said as she started to undress.

"It's nice I suppose." Xena answered distractedly.

"What is it, Xena?" Gabrielle asked, sensing the warrior's distant thoughts.

"Oh...I just miss Argo. That's all."

"Don't worry, Xena. I'm sure she's alright. And she'll be there when we get back."

"Yeah. You're right." Xena agreed, fumbling with the buttons of her shirt.

"Here, let me help with that." Gabrielle offered, working the buttons of the shirt with ease, sending the warrior's pulse racing with her touch.

-------------------------------------------------

Xena adjusted the water temperature and turned on the shower as Willow had shown them. Both warrior and bard climbed into the bathtub. "It's like having your own personal waterfall, Xena." Gabrielle remarked, clearly enjoying the experience.

"Yes, I guess it is." Xena replied, smiling fondly at her friend. "You always find the good in every situation, Gabrielle." The warrior noted.

"I try to." Gabrielle said. "It's the little things in life that really count. There are always hard times, problems...so much pain. It's important to enjoy every moment that you can."

"If more people shared your ideas, the world would be a much happier place." The warrior commented.

"You think so, Xena?" Gabrielle asked, cocking her head to the side, searching the warrior's eyes.

"Yes, I do." Xena said sincerely. "Now, would you hand me the soap before I shrivel up here?"

"Of course." Gabrielle responded, turning into the stream of water to search the shelves at the front of the bathtub for the bar of soap.

In her quest for the soap, Gabrielle bumped the cold water faucet.

"What did you do, Gabrielle?" Xena asked irritated. "The water is getting cold."

"I don't know." Gabrielle admitted. "Which one is the hot water? I'll turn it up."

"No, I'll do it." Xena said. "Switch places with me."

Gabrielle stepped past Xena and the warrior moved to the front of the stall to confront the faucets. "You're right, the water is cold. Did you find it yet, Xena?" Gabrielle prodded, dancing impatiently under the stream of cold water.

"Yep, I've got it." Xena replied triumphantly, giving the hot water dial a healthy turn.

When the stream of hot water hit her, Gabrielle let out a loud shriek and jumped toward Xena, trying to escape the searing downpour.

Hearing the scream, the slayer instinctively sprang into action. She was off the bed and down the hall within seconds, with Willow right behind her, as she flung open first the bathroom door and then the shower curtain.

This elicited another surprised scream from Gabrielle, who still clung to Xena, frozen in place. Willow jumped, went into full babble-mode consisting mostly of a string of incoherent apologies, and tried to avert her eyes from the sight of the two very naked women in her shower. She slowly backed out of the bathroom as the blush crept up her cheeks until her face was as red as her hair.

Buffy, not so easily shocked, simply offered an apologetic smile. "Oh, sorry. I heard a scream and I thought something was wrong. I, uh, didn't mean to interrupt." The slayer added, trying to stifle a laugh, and stepping back to vacate the bathroom.

"Nothing to worry about. We were just having a little trouble getting the temperature right." Xena explained, fumbling for the shower lever and finally stopping the hot stream.

"Yeah." Gabrielle said, laughing nervously as she let go her hold on Xena and took a step back once the shower had stopped.

Straightening to her full height, Xena offered a tight smile, "I think we can handle things from here."

"Oh totally. Sorry guys." Buffy said with a smile and a small wave, retreating from the bathroom to join Willow who still stood shocked in the hallway. When the bathroom door was securely closed, Buffy turned to Willow and her smile faded slightly when she saw the look on her friend's face. "Hey, Will...you okay?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, yeah...sure. Perfect, Buffy." Willow babbled as she hurried back to her room with Buffy following after her.

-----------------------------------------------

Moments later, with the water temperature under control, the warrior and bard continued their shower. Meanwhile, Buffy and Willow were settled on Willow's bed in research mode. Buffy sat cross-legged casually flipping through a book of spells, while Willow lay on her stomach with her laptop in front of her trying, without success, to forget what she had seen and concentrate on the task at hand.

"Buffy..."

"Yeah, Will?"

"Oh...nothing." Willow answered -- not sure how to broach the subject of what they had just seen.

"Come on, Will. Something's obviously on your mind." Buffy prodded, closing the book and shifting on the bed to catch her friend's gaze. "Spill." The slayer insisted.

"Uh, I was just a little surprised I guess...that they were in the shower, you know...together."

"Yeah, I know." Buffy said with a laugh.

"Do you think..." Willow started, her voice trailing off before she finished her question.

"I don't know." Buffy answered honestly, sensing what Willow had been trying to ask. "It's obvious they're close. But maybe it's just normal where they are from to bathe with other people."

"Maybe." Willow conceded. "Anyway, they're really nice, don't you think?" she added, changing the subject.

"Yep, they're totally nice. Gabrielle reminds me a little of you, actually." Buffy said.

"That's funny. Today when you were sparring, I was thinking how much you and Xena have in common."

"That was fun." Buffy admitted. "It was kind of like when Faith came to town." Buffy added, attempting a laugh, "That is before she started killing people and decided to join the bad guys."

"I'm sorry, Buffy. I know it's been hard for you...things with Faith."

"S'okay." Buffy replied with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "I just meant...it's kind of nice to have a sparring partner again. Xena's really _nothing_ like Faith."

"Oh, I know. I mean Faith can fight, but she's so full of anger...she's completely out of control."

"Xena, on the other hand, is very much in control." Buffy noted. "She's smart and strong, very focused...let's just say I'm glad that she's on our side."

"Yeah, me too." Willow agreed with a laugh.

"So, what do you think? Should we get back to the research?"

Willow nodded. "I'll contact some of Miss Calender's friends online and see if they know any spells that might work."

"Good idea. Meanwhile, I guess I should hit the books."

-------------------------------------- Continued in Chapter 6


	6. Girls Night Out

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6

"Hey, guys, over here." Xander called as they entered the Bronze a little before nine o'clock.

"Xena and I will get us some drinks and meet you at the table." Buffy offered.

Willow and Gabrielle made their way through the throng of people and over to where Xander was waiting.

"What can I get for you?" The bartender asked, addressing Xena as they approached the bar.

"Two mugs of port."

Buffy laughed. "She's always making jokes. You mean two beers, right?" The slayer suggested, hoping the warrior would take the hint.

"Yeah, sure. Two beers will be fine."

"And I need two cokes." Buffy added, pulling some money from her pocket to pay for the drinks.

"So, what'd we miss?" Buffy asked, sitting down next to Willow.

"Nothing much, unless you were dying to see Xander drooling over Gabrielle." Willow said, rolling her eyes.

"I was not drooling." Xander insisted. "I was merely commenting on how her shirt accentuates the color of her eyes." He added, leaning toward Gabrielle with a dreamy look in his eyes.

Xena raised an eyebrow at the sight as if to say 'Not another one.' And Gabrielle shifted closer to the warrior, trying to escape Xander's attention.

"Hey, Xander, why don't you give the girl a break?" Buffy suggested, with a little laugh.

"Alright, if you ladies don't appreciate me...then I'll just have to go and find someone who does." He said with a smile, getting up from the table, all the while scouring the room for his next victim. "Ah, yes, I think I see a lonely lady in need of my company right now."

"Joxer." Xena and Gabrielle said in unison, watching as Xander walked away.

"Huh?" Buffy inquired.

"Oh nothing." Xena said with a lopsided grin. "He just reminds us of a..._friend_ of ours."

"Huh. Hard to believe." Gabrielle said, shaking her head in amazement.

"Yeah. I guess some things never change." Xena noted with a dry smile.

Buffy and Willow looked at each other, then at the warrior and bard who were obviously sharing an inside joke.

"Do you guys wanna clue us in?" Buffy finally asked.

By the time Xander returned from his latest rejection, the bard had told her tale of "Joxer the Mighty" and was just finishing up an enthusiastic rendition of his self-proclaimed theme song much to the amusement of the others.

"Hello, ladies. Did ya miss me?" Xander greeted them, taking his seat. The four women looked at him, then at each other and started laughing.

"What's so funny? I could hear you guys laughing all the way across the room."

"Oh nothing, Xander." Willow assured him, trying to regain her composure. "Hey, when's the band starting?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Should be any minute." Xander said. "Have you talked to Oz yet?" He asked Willow.

"Nope. I haven't seen him."

"He was looking for you...said you were supposed to meet him here earlier." Xander told her.

"I completely forgot." Willow said, feeling suddenly guilty. "Maybe I should go and apologize before the band starts."

A few minutes later, Dingoes took the stage. When the music started, Buffy felt its pull. "This is a great song. You two up for dancing?" She asked.

Gabrielle nodded and looked to Xena. "You two go on. I think I'll sit this one out." The warrior replied.

Buffy and Gabrielle took to the dance floor, leaving Xena and Xander alone at the table. Xena watched appreciatively as Gabrielle tried to mimic the slayer's gyrations.

"So, how long have you known Buffy?" Xander asked, attempting to make small-talk with the warrior.

"A while." Xena answered vaguely, before taking a drink of her beer.

"Really? She never mentioned you." Xander said.

"Funny, she never mentioned you either." Xena replied, without taking her eyes from the dance floor.

"Will! Good to have you back." Xander said, latching onto the redhead as she returned to the table. "Your friend here is not much of a conversationalist." He said in a low voice as Willow sat down. Xena, whose senses were just as sharp as the slayer's, heard his comment and flashed him an annoyed look.

"I, uh, think I'll go to the little boys' room." Xander said nervously, excusing himself from the table to escape the warrior's glare.

Willow giggled at his hasty departure before following Xena's gaze to the dance floor. "Didn't you want to dance?" Willow asked.

"Nah. I'm not much for dancing." Xena admitted.

"I know what you mean. I think I look kind of silly when I dance, so I usually just watch too." The redhead confided, looking at the warrior. A flash of the warrior naked in the shower invaded Willow's mind and she averted her eyes nervously, hoping to banish the image.

As if reading the redhead's thoughts, Xena offered, "About what happened earlier...I'm sorry if Gabrielle and I...startled you."

"What do you mean? Oh, the shower. It was no big deal, really." Willow rushed to say, hoping she sounded convincing, though her voice must have been two octaves higher and she felt her face growing redder by the second. "Besides, I'm the one who should apologize for...for barging in on you like that."

"Don't worry about it." Xena said, trying to put Willow's mind at ease. "The way Gabrielle screamed, you'd think a bacchae had a hold of her. If I were you, I would have done the same thing." The warrior added with an easy smile.

Willow laughed at that and visibly relaxed, then chanced another glance at the warrior. "I don't know what Xander was talking about. I think your conversation skills are just fine." Willow remarked. "At first I found you a little...intimidating, but now you don't seem like that at all."

"Thanks." Xena said, accepting the compliment with a smile.

"Can I ask you something?" Willow said, feeling brave.

"Sure." Xena replied before downing the last of her beer.

"Do you...and Gabrielle...usually bathe together?"

"Yeah. Why?" The warrior replied.

"Oh, no reason. " Willow said hurriedly, dismissing the topic as Buffy and Gabrielle approached the table.

"So, what do you think of the music, Xena?" Gabrielle asked. "It's great, isn't it?"

Xena nodded. "You looked like you were enjoying it."

"It was a lot of fun."

"Come on, Will, you have to come dance with us." Buffy urged, pulling the redhead from her seat.

"It's okay, Buffy. You go ahead. I'm good with the watching." Willow said, trying to get out of it.

"Oh no you don't." Buffy said, shaking her head. "Why watch when you can be dancing instead?" She asked, flashing a smile that Willow couldn't resist. The redhead's resolve broken, she willingly allowed Buffy to pull her onto the dance floor, while Gabrielle opted for a break.

Gabrielle finished her beer in one long drink. "Thirsty?" Xena asked, raising an eyebrow. Gabrielle nodded, still breathing heavily from dancing. "You might think about slowing down. That stuff's a little stronger than the water you usually drink." The warrior commented, gesturing to Gabrielle's empty mug.

"I'm fine. I think I can handle it, Xena." Gabrielle retorted, annoyed as usual when she felt that Xena was treating her like a child.

-------------------------------------------------

A couple of hours and several rounds of drinks later, the party -- minus Xander -- was still in full swing.

"Hi. I couldn't help noticing you." Random strange guy said, sidling up to Gabrielle. "How about a dance?"

"She's not interested." Xena said, standing up to glare at the intruder.

Defiantly, Gabrielle stood up between them. "Actually, I'd love to dance." The bard replied enthusiastically, with a noticeable slur in her voice.

Buffy and Willow looked curiously at each other, then at Xena, who sat fuming with her eyes glued to Gabrielle's back as she and her partner moved toward the dance floor.

Before the song was halfway finished, Xena had already seen more than she cared to see. "I think I'll get some air." The warrior announced, getting up from the table and heading toward the door.

"What was that all about?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know." Willow admitted. "But Xena sure looked mad."

"Maybe I should try to talk to her." Buffy said.

"Yeah, okay. I'll stay here and wait for Gabrielle."

--------------------------------------------------

"Hey." Buffy said by way of greeting, as she rounded the corner of the building to find Xena reclining against the wall. Getting no response from the warrior, Buffy claimed a spot next to her and asked, "Wanna talk about it?"

"About what?" Xena replied.

"About what happened in there."

"Nothing to talk about really." Xena said. "Gabrielle just had a little too much to drink. And she probably thought I was treating her like a kid. So...she's trying to get under my skin."

"Looks like she succeeded." Buffy commented.

"How do you figure?"

"Well, for starters, if looks could kill, that guy would be dead." Buffy said with a laugh.

"Buffy? Xena? Are you out here?" Willow called, her voice bordering on frantic.

"We're over here, Will." Buffy answered. "What's up?" The slayer asked, as the redhead approached.

"I lost her, Buffy." Willow said, panting as she came to a halt in front of them.

"Gabrielle?" Xena asked.

Willow nodded. "I went to the bathroom and when I came back, she wasn't on the dance floor. I looked all over inside and couldn't find her."

"Son of a Bacchae." Xena shouted.

"Don't worry. We'll find her." Buffy said. "You go that way and we'll go this way. Here, take this...just in case." She said, tossing Xena her spare stake.

Xena brandished the offered weapon and disappeared around the corner of the building as Willow and Buffy headed in the opposite direction. Moments later, the slayer and hacker stopped in their tracks at the sound of a distant scream.

"Gabrielle!" The warrior cried, quickly closing in on the source of the cry.

She found the bard limp in the arms of her attacker. The vampire looked up from his meal as Xena approached. He dropped Gabrielle, who crumpled to the ground at his feet. "Mmmm dessert." He said, leering at Xena with Gabrielle's blood still coloring his lips.

Buffy and Willow heard the warrior's distinctive battle cry as they closed in on the scene. The two watched in awe as Xena pummeled the vamp. "You shouldn't have messed with my friend." The warrior ground out, delivering a fierce kick that sent the vamp crashing into the wall. Ruthlessly, she plunged the stake into his chest.

Without missing a beat, she dropped to her knees, gathering the bard in her arms, her anger instantly replaced by fear and concern for her friend. "Gabrielle." She urged, cradling the bard, feeling a weak pulse at the base of her throat.

Buffy and Willow closed the last bit of distance between them. "Is she okay?" Willow asked softly.

Gabrielle stirred slightly in the warrior's arms. "Xena?" She said softly.

"I'm right here, Gabrielle." Xena soothed, rocking the bard gently in her arms.

"You saved me. I knew you would..." Gabrielle said quietly, her voice trailing off as she drifted in and out of awareness.

"You got to her in time. She'll be okay." Buffy reassured them. "Let's get her back to Willow's house."

----------------------------------------------

"You gave us quite a scare." Xena confided, helping the bard settle on the sofa as they entered the house.

"I'm sorry, Xena."

"Shhh. Don't worry about it." The warrior said, tenderly brushing the hair back from the bard's face.

"Is everyone okay?" Gabrielle asked weakly, searching the room for Buffy and Willow.

"We're fine." Buffy assured her from the edge of the room where she and Willow stood looking on.

"It's your fault, you know." Gabrielle said turning back to Xena, trying to lighten the mood. "I was looking for you when he grabbed me."

"Well...if you hadn't gotten drunk and started acting up..." Xena teased.

"Okay," Buffy said, interrupting. "Well, we should probably bandage that wound and let her get some rest, don't you think, Will?"

"Uh...yeah. I'll get the first aid kit." The redhead said, heading up the stairs.

"I _am_ feeling kind of...woozy." Gabrielle confirmed, slurring the words a little.

"Between the beer and the blood loss, it's a wonder you're coherent at all." Buffy noted. "I can help you get her upstairs." The slayer offered, turning to Xena.

---------------------------------------------------

After helping Xena clean and bandage Gabrielle's neck, Buffy and Willow said goodnight and excused themselves, leaving the warrior and bard alone.

Xena quickly changed into her sleeping shift while Gabrielle, still reeling from the beer and the attack, managed only to get her shirt half off before giving up and collapsing on the bed. "Xena...can you help me out of this?" Gabrielle asked.

The warrior looked up at the bard and smiled, but made no move to help her.

"Please?" Gabrielle asked with an irresistible smile.

"Alright." Xena conceded, stepping up to help the bard out of the shirt she was tangled in.

"Thanks." The bard said, looking up at the warrior sweetly. "You should have danced with me Xena."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Because...it would have been nice...and then I wouldn't have had to dance with that strange man."

"Is that so?" Xena said absently, bending down to tug at the bard's pant legs.

"Uh huh." Gabrielle said drowsily.

"Here, let's get this on you." Xena said, working to get the sleeping shift on the uncooperative blonde.

"It's okay...I don't need it." Gabrielle said. "Why don't you just come to bed?" The bard added with a smile, pulling Xena to her and resting her head on the warrior's stomach.

"Come on, Gabrielle, help me out here." Xena pleaded, trying to extricate herself from the bard's grasp as her heart began to race.

"You smell so good, Xena." Gabrielle continued, ignoring the warrior's plea.

"You're drunk. You don't know what you're saying." Xena said, taking a step back from the bed.

"I'm not drunk." Gabrielle insisted, meeting the warrior's blue eyes. "I know exactly what I'm saying."

"First the henbane and now this." Xena mumbled, shaking her head. She stepped forward and pulled the sleeping shift down over the bard's head and quickly crossed to the other side of the bed.

"Goodnight, Gabrielle." Xena said, getting into bed and turning her back to the bard.

Not so easily deterred, Gabrielle snuggled up to Xena's back and said, "Xena?"

"What is it now?" Xena asked, turning to look at the bard.

"Would you kiss me?" The bard asked, closing her eyes in anticipation.

"What?!" Xena cried in disbelief. "Go to sleep, Gabrielle, before you do something you'll really regret in the morning." Xena advised, again turning her back on the bard and willing herself to think about something other than the bard's sweet lips.

------------------------------------------------------ Continued in Chapter 7


	7. Ice Cream & Awakenings

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7

"Buffy...are you still awake." Willow asked, turning onto her side to face her friend.

"Yep. Wide awake. You?"

"I can't sleep either. I guess I'm still a little wound up from what happened." Willow confessed.

"Understandable." Buffy replied. "You know what would help? Junk food." She proclaimed. "Works every time."

"You don't have to ask me twice." Willow said, giggling as she climbed out of bed.

Minutes later, Buffy and Willow were settled on the couch with two spoons and an extra large container of Triple Mocha Fudge ice cream. "I had fun tonight." Willow said. "I mean...before all of the panic, screaming and blood-sucking." She clarified, with a chuckle.

"Yeah. It was a pretty great day, until that last part. Things have been so crazy lately...I've missed this...just spending time with my Willow." Buffy said thoughtfully.

"Me too." Willow confessed, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach that were awakened every time Buffy called her 'my Willow'.

"You learn to appreciate the little things, huh? Cause, living on the hellmouth, every day is a potential disaster." Buffy pointed out with a half-laugh.

"Exactly. Like someone once told me, you've got to seize the moment." Willow chuckled then. "That should be the Sunnydale town motto."

"Hey! I told you that...the day we met." Buffy said with a knowing smile.

"Yep."

"You still remember that?" Buffy asked, realizing it had been nearly three years ago.

"Of course I remember." Willow replied. "Meeting you...it changed my life, Buffy." The redhead confided. "I just can't believe that you remember it."

"Will, you're the best friend I've ever had." Buffy said sincerely, looking into the redhead's shy green eyes. "I'll never forget that day."

"Aww, stop." Willow said, trying to fight the urge to cry.

"Right...too much mushy stuff." Buffy said, trying to lighten the mood. "Know what else I remember about that day?"

"What?" Willow asked, smiling around another spoonful of ice cream.

"Wanting to throttle Cordelia." Buffy replied matter-of-factly.

"Really? Why? I thought you wanted to be her friend." Willow said in disbelief.

"Yeah. I thought so too, until I saw the way she treated you. Then I pretty much just wanted to throttle her." Buffy said decisively.

"You never told me that!" Willow exclaimed.

"I was skating on thin ice after getting kicked out of Hemery, so I fought the urge...didn't think it would be wise to get into a fight on the first day of school."

Willow laughed and nodded in agreement. "Cordelia tortured me for years. I _dreaded_ school because of her. Then you came along...I can't believe that you wanted to beat her up for me. That's _so_ sweet." She mused. "But just being my friend made all the difference, Buffy. She's still the same old Cordelia, but...she doesn't really get to me anymore."

"I'm glad." Buffy said, smiling tenderly at the redhead.

"I've always wondered why...you know...why you wanted to be friends with me." Willow confided.

"Are you serious, Will?"

"Kind of. Yeah." Willow replied slowly.

"Why wouldn't I want to be friends with you? You're kind and smart and funny. And you're loyal and honest and caring...pretty much the best friend that anyone could ask for." Buffy said.

"You really think so?" Willow asked shyly, looking down at her hands.

"I know so." Buffy said with a decisive nod, lifting the redhead's chin to meet her gaze. "We've been through more together in the past few years than most people face in a lifetime and you've always been there for me, always trying to help or just giving me a shoulder to cry on. When everything is crumbling around me, I take comfort in the knowledge that Willow will be there."

"I always want to be here...if you need me, Buffy." Willow said, battling tears once again.

"Good. Cause I don't know if I could face life on the hellmouth without you, Will." Buffy said, pulling the redhead close for a hug.

"You know...the ice cream's all melted." Willow said a minute later, attempting a smile.

"Oh yeah..._so_ not appetizing." The slayer said, reluctantly breaking the hug and rising from her place on the couch. "I'll put it away."

"Okay...you wanna watch a little TV before we go upstairs?" Willow asked hopefully, not wanting their time together to end.

"Definitely. You pick something and I'll be right back." Buffy happily agreed, handing Willow the remote from the coffee table.

"I'll get a blanket." Willow offered. "I think I had too much ice cream." She said shivering on her way to the stairs.

Minutes later they were settled on the couch with blanket and remote, flipping through the channels. "Oooh, Oh, Tomb Raider." Buffy exclaimed.

"So, I guess we have a winner." Willow said, retiring the remote to the coffee table.

"Totally cheesy I know, but it's about a female action hero. Gotta love that."

"But the stunts are just soooooo bad." Willow giggled. "See, look at that. There's no way she could do that." She said, rolling her eyes and pointing.

Laughing, Buffy conceded. "You're right..._totally_ impossible."

"Angelina Jolie an action hero? I mean, come on." Willow said.

"Not a fan?" Buffy asked.

"She's okay I guess, but I don't think she was right for this part."

"Today we have with us casting director, Willow Rosenberg. So, tell us, Miss Rosenberg, who would you have cast in the role of Lara Croft?" Buffy asked in a mock interview voice, passing the imaginary mic to Willow for a response.

"I think Buffy Summers would be perfect for the part." Willow answered assuming a serious, adult voice, while trying to stifle a giggle.

"Buffy who?" The slayer asked.

"Buffy Summers." Willow repeated. "I know, I know...nobody in "the business" has heard of her, but I've seen her work and that girl's got it all. Take my word for it, she could be _the_ ultimate female action star." She said with a decisive nod.

"Very funny, Will." Buffy laughed, finally breaking character.

"Funny is good. I'll take funny." Willow replied with a smile. "But seriously Buffy, you are amazing when you fight. You kick major vampire butt every day. You'd be much better than her."

"Brownie points for the ego boost, Will, but if you keep talking like that I think you'll find it much easier to get into Bellevue than Harvard." Buffy teased, dodging the compliment.

"You really don't see it?" Willow asked, looking seriously at Buffy.

"See what?" Buffy asked confused.

"I had no idea." Willow said, experiencing a moment of clarity. "Of course, I didn't think it was possible." She added, lost in thought.

"Hey, Will..." Buffy said, waving her hand in front of the redhead's face. "You lost me there."

"Oh, sorry. It's just...I get it now, Buffy. I can't _believe_ it, but I finally get it."

"Share please." Buffy prodded.

"You're beautiful and cool a-and popular and funny. Plus, you're the slayer. But I never realized before...that you don't see yourself like I see you, like _everyone_ sees you. You seem so strong...but underneath it all, you really don't have much confidence in yourself, do you?"

"That obvious, huh?" Buffy asked, fidgeting with the blanket in her lap.

"Kind of." Willow admitted. "All these years you've been trying to make me feel better about myself. And I didn't even see that you needed that from me too. Well, no more self-involved Willow." She pledged, taking Buffy's hand. "I'm a girl with a mission. You're an amazing person, Buffy, and I'm going to keep reminding you of that until you see it too."

"You don't have to do that, Will." Buffy weakly asserted, looking down at Willow's hand entwined with her own.

"Yes...I think I do." Willow said with a decisive nod. "No use arguing. Resolve face, see." The redhead said.

"Okay, you win." Buffy conceded with a wide smile. "You know I am powerless against your resolve face."

"Good." Willow said with a satisfied smile.

"Thanks, Will." Buffy said softly. "You're the best."

"No...I thought we just agreed..._you're_ the best." Willow replied, giggling.

"Very funny." Buffy said, playfully poking the redhead in the side and setting off another round of giggles.

---------------------------------------------------

Xena tossed and turned for some time, her mind replaying the day's events and her body acutely aware of Gabrielle. The bard had drifted off to sleep snuggled against Xena's back. It was much later when the warrior finally fell asleep. She woke in the morning and found the bard still sleeping peacefully by her side.

Needing to put some distance between her and Gabrielle, she quietly left the bed and got dressed. Hearing voices downstairs, she descended the stairs to join Buffy and Willow. When she reached the living room, she found them curled up together on the couch, both sound asleep, and realized then that the voices she had heard were coming from the box in the corner that they had called a television. She watched, entranced for a minute by the images dancing across the screen, before finally opting to go out for a walk.

Buffy woke up next, finding Willow curled up in her arms with her head resting on the slayer's stomach. The scene was reminiscent of the previous morning, she realized, only this time the redhead's position left her no real avenue of escape. The slayer smiled at the sight, slightly amused at her predicament this morning.

She gently brushed back a few locks of red hair that were obscuring her view of Willow's face. The hacker was sleeping peacefully, wearing a sweet Willowy smile that evoked a powerful response in the slayer. Buffy was still trying to put a name to her feelings when the redhead began to stir.

"Morning, sleepyhead." Buffy said softly, momentarily shelving her deep thoughts.

"Mmmm...morning Buffy." Willow said dreamily, instinctively snuggling closer to the slayer. Buffy's heart skipped a beat then bringing her previous thoughts back in a jumbled rush.

Suddenly wide awake, Willow sat up like a shot, reverting to full-scale Willow-babble when she realized what she'd just done. "Oh Buffy, I'm soooo sorry..." She said, inching farther away on the couch with every word.

"Will..."

"I had no idea...I mean, I don't know what I was thinking..."

"Will..."

"I didn't mean to...I'm soooo sorry." Willow continued, avoiding Buffy's gaze.

"Will, please...relax. This amount of Willow-babble first thing in the morning could cause permanent brain damage." Buffy said with a chuckle. "No harm done." She said seriously, touching Willow's knee lightly.

"But..." Willow stuttered, feeling her blush deepen at Buffy's touch.

"Did you hear me complaining?" Buffy asked pointedly. "Nope. No complaints here. It was kind of nice actually." She confessed with an endearing smile, leaving the redhead uncharacteristically speechless.

"Well, it's clear that I've thoroughly blown your mind." Buffy said, noting Willow's nearly catatonic state. "I guess my work here is done." She said playfully, getting up from the couch and leaving Willow to contemplate her own deep thoughts.

-------------------------------------------------

"Good morning." Buffy said, greeting the warrior as she stepped out onto the porch. "I saw you through the window..."

"Good Morning." Xena said.

"Have you been up long?" Buffy asked.

"A little while."

"No offense, but you look kinda tired." Buffy noted.

"Gabrielle kept me up most of the night." The warrior stated.

"Oh. Was she sick?" Buffy asked, assuming that Xena was up taking care of the bard.

"Quite the opposite. I think she was feeling _too_ good." Xena said with a lopsided grin, thinking back to the bard's alcohol-induced advances toward her.

"Huh? OHH!" Buffy said knowingly, giving the warrior a curious look. "Well, it's none of my business really. I'm just glad that you two, uh, _made up._" She said suggestively.

"What in Tartarus are you talking about?" Xena asked, irritated by the tone of Buffy's voice.

"Hey, it's the nineties." Buffy said, as if that should mean something to the warrior. Seeing Xena's confusion, she continued. "What I mean is that a lot has changed in the past two thousand years. People are more tolerant of...alternative lifestyles now. Besides...I'm the _last_ person who would judge you." Buffy added, reminding herself of her own complicated feelings for her best friend.

"Judge me for what?" Xena asked defensively.

"Seriously, Xena," Buffy said, "It's obvious that you and Gabrielle are more than friends. I mean, you sleep with each other, bathe together, you even bicker like a married couple. Besides, the way that you two look at each other...it's a dead-giveaway." She informed the warrior.

"You think that Gabrielle and I are...lovers?" Xena asked, lowering her voice. Buffy's comments suddenly started to make sense to the warrior. "Well, you're way off. Gabrielle is just a kid. It's not like you think."

"Are you serious?" Buffy asked, laughing.

The warrior's only response was a stern glare, silently warning the slayer to back off.

"Alright." Buffy said, putting her hands up in surrender. "If you don't want to talk about it, I totally understand. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I mean, I think Gabrielle's a great person and it's obvious that you really care about each other. But if I offended you, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." The warrior said, realizing that she was overreacting.

-----------------------------------------

"Hello..." Gabrielle called weakly, holding her throbbing head as she walked down the stairs. "Is anybody here?" She said, wandering from room to room.

"Oh, hi." Willow said, rounding a corner and nearly colliding with the bard. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over by a chariot." The bard replied flatly. "I don't know which is worse, my head or my stomach."

"Here. Come and sit. I'll get you something for your headache." Willow offered, leading the bard into the kitchen.

"Take these." The redhead said, returning to the kitchen and handing the bard two Tylenol and a glass of water.

"These will help?" Gabrielle asked, looking down at the two little pills skeptically.

"Yep." Willow confirmed. "That should help with your headache. And after you eat breakfast, I'm sure your stomach will feel worlds better."

"Thanks." Gabrielle replied.

"Looks like Gabrielle is up." Buffy noted, seeing the bard through the kitchen window.

"Good Morning." Buffy said cheerily, greeting the bard as she entered the kitchen and chancing a glance at Willow who quickly went to work making breakfast.

"I'm not so sure about that." Gabrielle replied with a weak smile.

"Oh, come on, Gabrielle, it's a beautiful day!" Xena said enthusiastically, teasing the bard.

"Please, Xena." Gabrielle said, pleading for the warrior to have mercy on her.

"Alright." Xena said in a mock whisper, flashing the bard a sympathetic smile.

"Help yourselves to some coffee. Breakfast will be ready soon." Willow said.

The phone rang and Buffy offered, "You want me to get that, Will?"

"That would be great, Buffy." The redhead replied, her thoughts drifting back to how she had woken up with Buffy that morning.

Buffy stepped into the living room and answered the phone. "Hello."

"Is that you Willow?" Oz asked, realizing that the voice didn't sound quite right.

"Uh, no. It's Buffy. I'll get Will for you. Just a sec." Buffy said, mentally scolding herself for the twinge of jealousy she felt as she walked back to the kitchen.

"It's for you, Will." Buffy said.

"Who is it?"

"It's Oz. You go ahead. I can finish things up here." Buffy offered.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks." Willow said, walking past Buffy to the living room.

"Hello."  
  
"Hi. I just wanted to make sure we're still on for lunch today." Oz said.

"Lunch? Uh...was that today?" Willow asked nervously.

"You forgot." He said flatly. "You stood me up last night and now you're trying to back out on lunch."

"Nooo. I'm so sorry that I forgot." She answered, trying to quash her renewed guilt. "I want to go to lunch...really...a-and we can go wherever you want. Just tell me what time and I'll be ready."

"Noon?" Oz questioned.

"Great. I'll see you then." She said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "And Oz, I really am sorry."

"Everything okay?" Buffy asked, seeing the stormy expression on Willow's face when she returned to the kitchen.

"Yeah, perfect." Willow replied with a nervous chuckle. "I just kinda forgot that I had plans with Oz today."

"Oh."

Three pairs of eyes looked curiously at the redhead who fidgeted with her coffee mug. "It's just lunch so I shouldn't be gone too long." She added.

-------------------------------------------

"You guys made breakfast. We can take care of the dishes, right Gabrielle?" Xena offered.

"Of course. I'm feeling much better." Gabrielle assured them. "Besides, we could use something to do. Xena and I...we don't know what to do with all of this free time."

"I'll wash. You dry." Xena said handing the bard a dishtowel.

"Well, thanks. I guess I will go and put in a little research time then." Willow said, getting up from the table.

"Me too." Buffy added, following Willow out of the kitchen.

--------------------------------------------

"There's an email here from Jan." Willow said, looking up from the laptop. "She was a friend of Miss Calender's. They were in the same coven. She sent us some information about a spell that she thinks might work." The redhead said.

"That's great news. We should tell Xena and Gabrielle." Buffy suggested.

"Yeah. If we can get the ingredients that we need today, then maybe we can give it a try later tonight." Willow said excitedly.

"Sounds like a plan." Buffy agreed with a nod.

"Wow...if this works...we'll never see them again." Willow said, her enthusiasm suddenly fading at the realization.

"I know...hard to believe that they'll be gone just like that. I'm gonna miss having them around." Buffy said, pouting.

"Yeah, me too." Willow said sadly.

------------------------------------------

"That must be Oz." Willow said when the doorbell rang.

"Hi" She said, opening the door.

"Hi. You ready?" He asked.

"Yep." Willow answered, then turned to Buffy. "We can work on that...project when I get back." She said.

"Right." Buffy said.

------------------------------------------- Continued in Chapter 8


	8. Girl Talk & Slayage

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 8

Oz made small talk on the way to the restaurant and Willow, aware that she was in the doghouse, listened attentively, hoping to ease the tension that was between them. The hacker was on her best behavior until their food was served and her mind started to wander again.

Several minutes into lunch, Willow's food was mostly untouched and the redhead was caught staring out the window.

"You haven't heard a word I said." Oz said, irritated.

"What? Oh, sorry." Willow said, pulling herself out of her thoughts. In spite of her efforts, the memory of waking up with Buffy that morning lingered.

"What's going on with you, Will?" Oz asked, his keen senses picking up the change in her breathing and the growing color in her cheeks.

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking about this project that Buffy and I are working on." She replied, nervously pushing the food around on her plate.

"It's always about Buffy, isn't it?" Oz said, pushing his plate away.

"I don't know what you mean." Willow said, trying to sound casual, but feeling unquestionably guilty.

"You spend more time with her than with me. I hardly see you anymore, Will. We make plans and you can't even remember to show up. You're always studying with Buffy, patrolling with Buffy, working on some project with Buffy."

"She's my best friend." Willow said. "And she's the slayer. You know I have to help. It's important...b-but I'm here with you _now_."

"Are you?"

"Is this about Xander? Are you still mad at me for...for what happened?" Willow asked, desperately trying to steer the conversation to _any_ topic other than Buffy.

"No. What I'm talking about started before that...I don't know, maybe it's always been there." Oz admitted.

"I don't know what to say." Willow confessed, looking down at her hands in her lap.

The short drive back to the Rosenberg home seemed to take forever as the silence stretched out between them. When Oz pulled the van up to the curb in front of the house, Willow hesitated before getting out. She turned to look at Oz, but couldn't find any words except a simple "I'm sorry".

"Maybe we shouldn't see each other for awhile." Oz said flatly. "I told you when we met that I didn't want to be with you if you wanted to be with someone else. I thought we were past that, but..."

"We are, Oz. The whole thing with Xander was just a huge mistake...you know that. It was just a stupid childhood crush and I can't tell you how over it I am. I am totally over it." Willow babbled.

"This isn't about Xander." Oz said, catching Willow's gaze. And Willow, though sometimes slow on the uptake, knew then without a doubt that he was talking about her feelings for Buffy.

The hacker, thoroughly confused by her own feelings for her best friend at the moment, knew that she couldn't honestly deny the things that Oz had said. Instead, she offered, "You know I care about you."

"I know." Oz replied. "But you need to take some time, decide what you want."

"Maybe you're right." Willow agreed, much to his surprise.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you around." Oz said after another awkward silence.

"Yeah...I'll see you at school." Willow offered, getting out of the van. She watched him pull away, wondering at how things can change so much so quickly, before turning and walking toward the house.

--------------------------------------

"Hey, you're back." Buffy said.

"Hi." Willow said weakly, collapsing on the couch looking defeated. "Where are Xena and Gabrielle?" She asked, looking around.

"They were getting a little stir-crazy, so they went out for a walk. How'd it go?"

"Ugh."

"That good, huh?" Buffy noted, offering Willow a sympathetic look.

"Oz is mad at me." Willow said. "I haven't seen him much lately and I guess he's feeling neglected. He thinks that I don't want to spend time with him." She explained, carefully leaving out the fact that Oz had accused her of preferring to spend time with Buffy instead of with him.

"Really? What did you say when he told you that?"

"I didn't know what to say." Willow confessed.

"Well...did you tell him that you would spend more time with him and make it up to him?" Buffy questioned.

"That's good...why didn't I think of that?" Willow said dejectedly, realizing that it hadn't even occurred to her to tell Oz that she would spend less time with Buffy and more with him.

"I'm sure you guys will work it out. Right?" Buffy offered, putting her arm around the redhead and giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Willow visibly tensed at the contact, suddenly hyper-aware of her body's myriad responses to Buffy's touch. "Uh...I don't know." Willow responded, quickly getting to her feet and crossing the room to put some distance between her and her best friend. The slayer, confused at Willow's abrupt retreat from her, watched wordlessly as the hacker paced the room in front of her.

"I think it might really be over this time." Willow said quietly, the realization suddenly dawning.

"Really?" Buffy asked in disbelief, feeling intensely guilty for the part of her that was suddenly hopeful that Oz might be out of Willow's life. "God, what a horrible friend I am." Buffy berated herself.

"What...what do you mean?" Willow asked, stopping mid-pace to stare at Buffy.

It was then that Buffy realized that her internal musings hadn't been so internal. _Did I say that out loud?_ Buffy thought, standing up to start pacing herself then. "Oh, I just meant that I...I've been taking up too much of your time lately. And now Oz is mad at you because you haven't been spending time with him, when it's really my fault. I've been selfish...you know, always asking for your help with school and research and stuff..." Buffy babbled, chancing an occasional glance at the redhead to see if she was buying it. Noticing the smile forming on Willow's lips, Buffy stopped pacing, confused. "What?"

"Now who's babbling?" Willow teased.

"Funny. Very funny." Buffy said.

"But seriously, Buffy, it's not your fault. You haven't been a bad friend. You know I want to help with the slaying. Really, I mean what is more important than saving the world?" Willow asked. "And I like helping you with school and just spending time with my best friend. None of this is your fault. You don't _make_ me do anything. I'm a big girl, you know. I make my own choices and if Oz can't deal with that then...maybe it's best if we break up." Willow added defiantly.

"Wow." Buffy replied, staring at the hacker wide-eyed. "Do you really mean that?"

"Yes, I think I do. I mean...Oz is a great guy and I care about him you know but...there's just so much going on in my life right now. I think he's right. I need some time to figure out what I want."

"If you need anything, Will, you know I'm here, right?" Buffy said, approaching her friend and tenderly brushing aside a lock of red hair, willing the hacker to make eye contact.

"Yeah, sure, Buffy. I know." Willow mumbled, nervously backing away from the slayer's touch and avoiding her gaze.

_Ok, I get it. Hands off. _Buffy thought as Willow pulled away. "Are you still weirded out about this morning?" She asked.

"Wha?...No, no, of course not. Everything's great. I'm fine. We're good. Nothing wrong here." Willow babbled, completely freaked that Buffy might be clueing into her profound response to the slayer's touch.

Buffy was still looking at her friend unconvinced when Xena and Gabrielle returned from their walk. Willow greeted them enthusiastically, supremely grateful for the diversion.

------------------------------------------------

"Xena can come with me on patrol if you and Gabrielle want to pick up the spell ingredients." Buffy offered later that evening.

"Sure." Willow agreed. "Then we can meet back here and do the spell whenever you guys are ready." She added, looking at Xena and Gabrielle.

"We have school tomorrow." Buffy noted. "I guess I'll have to head home after we finish tonight."

"Do you really have to?" Willow asked, suddenly feeling like everyone was abandoning her all at once.

"I can stay if you want." Buffy offered. "I'll just have to call my mom...tell her we're working late or something, so I'm just going to crash here."

"Great." Willow said, her spirits lifting.

---------------------------------

Willow and Gabrielle set out for The Magic Box as Buffy and Xena left for patrol. Once they were on their way, Willow turned to Gabrielle commenting, "I'm sure after what happened last night that you are looking forward to getting back home."

"You mean the vampire?" Gabrielle asked. Willow nodded. "I've been through worse." The bard said with a half-laugh. "I might not have been so helpless if I hadn't drank so much." She noted.

"You were a little tipsy." Willow agreed, smiling at the bard.

"Don't remind me." Gabrielle replied, thinking back on the things she had said to Xena the night before. "I really should avoid mind-altering substances. They always seem to get me into trouble." She said with an embarrassed smile, recalling her similarly uninhibited behavior when she had been under the influence of Henbane.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Willow agreed, grinning. "I have enough trouble knowing what to do sometimes without adding alcohol to the mix." She added, opening the door and entering The Magic Box.

Gabrielle wandered around the shop, looking wide-eyed at the vast assortment of spell ingredients, while Willow gathered the items on her list and paid for them. Within a few minutes they were on their way back toward Willow's house.

-----------------------------------------------

Buffy and Xena strolled the cemetery, both lost in their own thoughts. "About this morning," Xena said finally, "I'm sorry for getting so worked up. I shouldn't have snapped at you. Truth is, girl-talk is _not_ one of my many skills." Xena confessed with an apologetic smile.

"I _totally_ get that." Buffy replied. "Being a slayer or a warrior is not a nine to five job. It's kind of hard to just put down your weapons at night and then go and have a good cry. People depend on us. We are expected to be strong all the time. I struggle with it too...Duck!" Buffy ordered, seeing a vampire approaching Xena from behind.

Xena obeyed and the slayer took flight, landing a solid roundhouse kick in the vamp's face while the warrior crouched below. "My turn." Xena said, pushing Buffy into a crouching position and letting out a battle cry as she took to the air for her classic double split kick, taking down two vampires, one on either side of Buffy.

"Catch." Buffy said, tossing Xena a stake as she moved past the warrior to confront the first vamp as he made his next approach. He threw a careless punch and Buffy caught his arm mid-flight, twisting it around behind his back. "Where are your manners?" She scolded. "We are _trying_ to have a conversation here." She added, plunging the stake into his chest.

She turned to find Xena battling the other two vamps with a wicked grin on her face. One of the vampires looked particularly frightened of the warrior princess with the wild look in her eyes. "Hey, save one for me." Buffy said with a smile. "I'll take Mr. Ugly, you take Mr. Stupid." She said, coming up beside the warrior.

"1-2-slay." Buffy instructed. Slayer and warrior both took off, planting one kick, then a second, then staking the two vampires in unison. "Cool, a new Olympic event, synchronized slaying." Buffy quipped.

"Now, what was I saying before we were so rudely interrupted..." Buffy mused. "Oh yeah...we are expected to be strong all the time. I struggle with it too, trying to be more than just some sort of coldhearted killing machine." The slayer confided, brushing the vamp dust off of her hands.

"Seems like you handle things pretty well." Xena commented, matching the slayer's stride as they continued their patrol.

"Trust me...I haven't always handled things well. When I found out that I was the slayer...in less than a year, I managed to get kicked out of school, lose all of my friends, and had almost gotten myself killed more than once. I was falling apart."

"So, what changed?" Xena asked.

"I moved to Sunnydale and met Willow. Before I met her, I guess I didn't really have anyone that I could depend on. And she just has this way of seeing into me. She's the only person who sees me as Buffy -- not just as the slayer." She said thoughtfully. "She doesn't expect me to be strong all the time. When I feel weak, she gives me strength." Buffy admitted.

"I know what you mean. Before I met Gabrielle, I was...different, very different. I had learned not to trust anyone. She had to _force_ her way into my life because I wouldn't let her in. And it's still a constant battle between us sometimes. I was so used to being alone, to keeping things to myself. But she's mended things in me that I thought couldn't be mended." Xena said, her eyes filled with affection for the bard.

"Does Gabrielle know how you feel?" Buffy asked.

Xena shook her head a simple no, then added, "As I said...talking is not something I'm very good at."

"I'm sure she knows that you care about her. And it's obvious that she cares about you. You should talk to her though. If there's one thing I've learned as the slayer it's that you have to live in the moment. Most people put things off because they think there's always tomorrow. In my line of work, well, let's just say, that's a luxury I don't have." Buffy noted.

"I know what you mean." Xena admitted. "A few months back, Gabrielle and I ended up in the middle of a civil war. I was caring for some of the wounded and Gabrielle heard there was a young boy caught out in the middle of the fighting. She went out after him and was wounded. She stopped breathing. I really thought I'd lost her. I vowed then that if I had another chance, I would make sure she knows how much she means to me."

"You haven't told her?" Buffy asked, though she knew the answer.

"I've thought about it. I've even tried a time or two. I don't know..." The warrior trailed off, frustrated.

"Trust me, I know." Buffy said, meeting the warrior's gaze. "Relationships are sooo complicated." She added, realizing that she herself was guilty of avoiding her feelings. "We're quite a pair, you and I."

"What do you mean?" Xena asked, sensing the shift in the slayer's mood.

"We're like warriors, right? We fight the bad guys every day, face death every day. No problem. But when it comes to facing our feelings, we run screaming for the hills like total cowards." She added with a rueful laugh.

"You're right." Xena confirmed dejectedly. "It's pathetic."

---------------------------------------------------- Continued in Chapter 9


	9. Bonding & Bed Time

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 9

"I hope Xena's not too mad at me for last night." Gabrielle said thoughtfully as she and Willow walked back toward the house.

"Oh, I'm sure she's not mad. Nothing you did last night was so horrible." Willow assured her.

"I don't know about that." The bard replied, thinking back on how she had practically thrown herself at Xena the night before.

"All you did was dance with someone. Are you worried that Xena is...jealous?" Willow asked, confused.

"I wish." Gabrielle replied with a half-laugh, before thinking about the implication of her words. Gabrielle looked at Willow, trying to decide how much she should divulge about what she had done.

Back at the house, they settled on the couch to continue their conversation. With nothing to do but wait for Buffy and Xena to return, Willow took the opportunity to question the bard about her relationship with Xena. "Are you and Xena..." Willow paused, searching for the right words. "Uh...how close are you?" She asked finally, backing down slightly.

"If you mean, are we _involved_...No." Gabrielle answered. "What would give you that idea?"

"I don't know. You just seem so close."

"We are close, but Xena looks at me like a sister...a _little_ sister to be precise." The bard replied, perturbed by Xena's perception of her.

"You really think so?" Willow asked, unconvinced.

"Honestly, I don't know what she's thinking." Gabrielle admitted. "I try to talk to her, but she can be so closed off sometimes."

"Well, I've seen the way she looks at you and it doesn't seem _sisterly_ to me." Willow said.

"What do you mean?"

"Like when she was watching you and Buffy dancing last night. Oh, and when you were dancing with that guy later, she was _totally_ jealous." She added.

"No." Gabrielle replied, disbelieving.

"Yep, I was really glad we convinced Xena to leave her sword at the house. I thought she was going to murder that guy you were dancing with." Willow giggled.

Gabrielle laughed at that too. "That sounds like Xena." She admitted. "She's so protective. Like I said...she treats me like I'm this naïve little kid who can't take care of myself." Gabrielle said.

"I'm sure that she cares about you and just doesn't want you to get hurt. Buffy does the same thing to me sometimes. But I know that they do it out of love."

"You're right. And I owe Xena so much." Gabrielle mused. "I hope that she can forgive me for the way I acted last night."

"You mean the dancing?" Willow asked, thoroughly confused.

"No. Not the dancing." Gabrielle said, laughing. "After that. I was not myself...or maybe I was _more_ myself...I don't know." The bard confessed, still struggling to understand her actions. "Either way, I said some things to Xena that I shouldn't have and then I asked her to kiss me."

"Oh." Willow replied, stunned. "What did Xena do?" She asked.

"She said that I was drunk, that I didn't know what I was saying, and that I should go to sleep before I did something that I would regret in the morning." Gabrielle recounted. "Of course, it was already too late for that." Gabrielle added with a frown.

"Wow."

"I feel terrible. I don't know what I was thinking. I respect the boundaries of our friendship very well usually." The bard explained.

"I think I know how you feel." Willow confided, going into full babble-mode. "This morning I kind of attacked Buffy. She was really great about it, but I've been...a little on edge ever since. I was so embarrassed. In my defense, I was still half-asleep when I snuggled up to her...but I guess that means that I was half awake too. I don't know what I was thinking or if I was even thinking at all. I mean, Buffy has a boyfriend. A-and so do I...at least I did until this afternoon when Oz and I broke up." The redhead finished, finally exhausting herself.

"It sounds like you've had a hard day." Gabrielle noted. "Do you mind if I ask...?"

"What?"

"Do you think you're in love with her?" Gabrielle inquired.

"Who? Buffy?" Willow asked, wide-eyed. "Nooooo. I mean I can't be. I don't think so. I don't know...maybe." The hacker finally admitted. "It doesn't matter anyway. We're just friends. That's all. Whatever I feel for Buffy, she's the best friend I've ever had...and I don't want to lose that."

"I feel the same way about Xena." Gabrielle mused. "I've never been so close to anyone. She's such a part of me." Willow nodded in understanding, identifying with the bard's feelings. "One thing I've learned from all of this...I really shouldn't drink." Gabrielle added with a smile.

Willow giggled and Gabrielle joined in, both laughing at the out of control turn their lives had taken in such a few short days.

Buffy and Xena walked in then. "Hey, what's so funny? What'd we miss?" Buffy inquired.

"Nothing." Willow and Gabrielle answered in unison, neither willing to elaborate on their conversation.

"How was patrol?" Willow asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"It was good." Buffy replied. "But we missed you guys."

"That's sweet." Willow said smiling. "We missed you too."

"So, how did it go at the Magic Box?" Buffy asked.

"We got all of the ingredients except for one. I was worried about it. It's kinda rare. I got sort of a substitute, but it's not the same." Willow explained. "It may work, but I'm not sure."

Turning to Xena and Gabrielle, Willow added. "We can try the spell if you want. But I'd really like to check with Jan first and see what she thinks."

"If you think we should wait, then we wait." Xena said. "Right, Gabrielle?"

"Sure. What's one more day?" The bard agreed.

"Great. I'll email Jan right now and hopefully she'll get back to me tomorrow." Willow suggested, heading up the stairs.

"I think I'm gonna go up and take a shower. I mean yuk." Buffy said, looking down at her hands still covered in vamp dust. "If you want to wash up, Xena, you can use the bathroom down here."

"Thanks. That'd be great." Xena replied, feeling a little grimy herself.

--------------------------------------------------

After her shower, Buffy headed down the hall to Willow's room. She stopped in her tracks in the doorway of the bedroom as she caught a glimpse of the redhead changing into her nightshirt. The feeling in the pit of her stomach prompted the slayer to question the wisdom of her decision to stay over another night.

As she pulled the shirt the rest of the way on, the redhead looked up to find Buffy standing uncertainly in the doorway. Noting her friend's expression, Willow rushed to reassure her. "Buffy, about this morning...I really am sorry. And I can sleep downstairs if you want." She offered.

"Don't be silly." Buffy said, taking a step into the room, trying to cover her earlier hesitance. "It's already forgotten." She insisted with a wide smile, even as the voice in her head said mockingly _'Okay...you're totally lying now_.'

"Really, I don't mind sleeping on the couch." Willow said, making a move toward the door to go downstairs.

Willow's attempted escape forced Buffy to act quickly. "Oh no you don't." She said with a mischievous grin, rushing toward the redhead and tackling her onto the bed.

"Buffy!" Willow squealed. She giggled uncontrollably, all the while trying to wriggle out of the slayer's grasp.

"Come on, Will...if you want to cuddle, all you have to do is ask..." Buffy teased, smiling sweetly as she pulled Willow closer.

"Buffy!" Willow repeated, her jaw dropping in shock. The combined effect of the slayer's words...her smile...and the feel of her body pressed against Willow's evoked such a response in the hacker that she began to hyperventilate.

"God, Will." Buffy said, loosening her hold on her friend. "Are you okay?"

"I'm...fine. Really." Willow squeaked, clutching her chest, trying to calm down.

"I'm so sorry. I was just joking." Buffy assured her, trying to ignore the voice inside her head that again spoke up. _'Mostly...you were mostly joking._' It clarified.

"It's okay, Buffy." Willow said, offering a weak smile as she regained control of her breathing.

"I just wanted to lighten the mood after what happened this morning." Buffy explained. "You're my best friend, Will...I don't want you to feel strange around me. Have I scarred you for life?" Buffy asked, smiling down at Willow.

"No, Silly." Willow replied with an impish grin, poking Buffy in the ribs.

"Feeling brave now, are you?" Buffy teased with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Maybe." Willow said with a sly smile. "I'm just taking _your_ advice." She added.

"Really...what advice is that?" Buffy asked curiously.

"To seize the moment." She replied. "Witness me seizing." She announced, as she tackled Buffy and began tickling her relentlessly.

"Mercy." Buffy pleaded, gasping for air after a few seconds.

Willow paused. "Are you going to stop teasing me if I let you go?" She asked.

"Probably not." Buffy admitted with a half-laugh.

"Wrong answer." Willow said, resuming the tickle torture.

"Okay. I give. I give." The slayer said finally.

"Swear you'll be good?" Willow asked.

"But that sounds boring." Buffy chuckled.

"You have to swear." Willow giggled. "Or I'll be forced to hold you down all night." She said sternly.

"Promises, promises." Buffy teased, unable to resist.

"You're soooo bad, Buffy." Willow scolded, trying to suppress a smile.

"I know." Buffy admitted. "But you _still_ love me." She said confidently.

"I give up." Willow said, throwing her hands up in surrender as she moved back to her own side of the bed.

"Awe, so soon." Buffy pouted.

"What's gotten into you?" Willow asked, looking curiously at her friend.

"What can I say...you just bring out the best in me." Buffy said with a playful wink.

"Okay...I think it's time to go to bed." Willow said nervously.

"I thought you'd never ask." Buffy said breathlessly, batting her eyelashes for dramatic effect.

"Buffy! You're _so_ out of control. That's it...I'm not saying one more thing." Willow said, laughing nervously. "Goodnight, Buffy." She added, climbing into bed and turning her back on the slayer.

"You sure you don't want to cuddle?" Buffy asked, smiling happily when she heard Willow's shocked gasp.

"Or maybe a little goodnight kiss..." Buffy offered with a mischievous laugh, thoroughly enjoying torturing the shy redhead.

"Well, maybe just one kiss." Willow said seriously, turning and grabbing the slayer as if she planned to take her up on the offer.

"Willow!" Buffy gasped, a clearly shocked expression crossing her features.

"I _thought_ so..." Willow said with a victorious grin, but couldn't resist leaning in and placing a quick kiss on the slayer's cheek before releasing the stunned blonde and turning back over. "Goodnight, Buffy." The redhead said innocently.

"Goodnight, Will." Buffy replied, finally subdued.

Sleep didn't come easily to either Buffy or Willow. The slayer began to question the wisdom of challenging her best friend, realizing how effortlessly the redhead had turned the tables on her. She replayed the events in her mind acutely aware of how it had felt to be in Willow's arms, not at all an unpleasant feeling she had to admit. Even knowing that it was just a game, that Willow was just trying to shock her into submission, didn't help put Buffy's mind to rest. Nor did it help her fight the urge to curl up next to the redhead, put her arms around her and take in the sweet scent of her hair.

Willow, on the other hand, lay staring at the wall wondering what had possessed her to actually kiss Buffy and praying that her friend would take it all in stride. _'She asked for it. She practically dared me to do it.'_ Willow told herself. _'It was nice though...while it lasted.' _She admitted to the darkness, a contented smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

------------------------------------------------ Continued in Chapter 10


	10. Choices

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10

The next morning the four of them headed off to the school. Xena and Gabrielle were left in the library while Buffy and Willow went to class.

"You okay?" Xena asked after a while, eyeing the bard with concern.

"I'm fine." Gabrielle replied, avoiding the warrior's gaze.

"You know, you haven't said two words to me this morning." Xena noted.

"You're imagining things, Xena." The bard said, trying to make light of it.

"Did I do something?" The warrior asked, reaching out to lift Gabrielle's chin to look into the bard's eyes.

"No." The bard replied softly.

"Come on, Gabrielle...I know something's wrong."

"What if we can't get back home?" The bard finally asked. "I've been thinking about it and if this spell doesn't work, what will we do?"

"It's been on my mind too." Xena admitted.

"It has been a wonderful experience...being here...but I worry. If we can't go home, I don't know where I would fit into this world, Xena." The bard quietly confided. "And Lila and my parents..."

"Hey, don't worry." Xena replied, looking down at the bard tenderly. " It'll be okay. I promise."

"You can't promise that, Xena."

"I'm sure the spell will work. And if it doesn't...we'll keep looking for a way." The warrior promised as she instinctively pulled Gabrielle into her arms to comfort her. The bard relaxed into the embrace resting her head on Xena's chest with a soft sigh. Their bodies melded together, a perfect fit the warrior noted as her heart began to race.

"I love you, Xena." Gabrielle whispered.

The warrior tensed involuntarily, trying to reign in her emotions, which were quickly getting out of control. The change did not go unnoticed by Gabrielle who abruptly ended the embrace and mumbled an apology, turning away from Xena as a single tear slid down her cheek.

The bard was certain then that her slip-up two nights before had cost her dearly. _'We can't even share a friendly hug.' _Gabrielle thought sadly.

"Gabrielle, what is it?" Xena asked confused, instinctively reaching out to the bard, who flinched and pulled away from the contact.

"I've ruined everything, haven't I?"

"What are you talking about?" Xena asked.

"The other night. When I had too much to drink...I said and did things that I shouldn't have. And I'm sorry...can't you forgive me, Xena?" The bard asked, her green eyes filling with unshed tears.

"Forgive you? Gabrielle, there's nothing to forgive. You just weren't yourself. You didn't know what you were doing. I know that." The warrior replied, trying to comfort the bard. Somehow this didn't seem to comfort her at all. If anything, Gabrielle seemed even more agitated.

"I was well aware of what I was doing, Xena." The bard snapped. "And I have accepted how you feel, but someday you're going to have to realize that I'm not a _child_. I am a grown woman and I have a mind of my own. I don't appreciate the way you dismiss my feelings as if I'm just some naïve little girl who can't think for myself." With that the bard turned and walked across the room and out of the library leaving Xena to wonder what had just happened.

The warrior had mulled over the situation and was just about to go out looking for her friend when Gabrielle came back into the library nearly an hour later. Xena still didn't understand all of what was upsetting her friend, but she had begun to piece together the puzzle and knew for certain that the bard was upset about what had happened between them the night when the bard had drank too much.

"Gabrielle..."

"Xena, it's okay. You don't have to say anything. I'm sorry I snapped at you." The bard said distantly.

"No. You were right." Xena replied. "I'm sorry if sometimes I'm overprotective. I don't mean to treat you like a child. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I know. It's okay." The bard replied.

"I know you're not a child." Xena added with conviction, a spark of desire flickering in her eyes as she reached out and tenderly touched Gabrielle's cheek, amazed at how the beautiful bard had so quickly and completely stolen her heart.

Green eyes searching blue, the bard saw then what she had missed so many times before. For a moment Gabrielle doubted what she saw until she remembered what Willow had said about how Xena looked at her. Others had seen it, she realized - the desire in Xena's eyes when the warrior looked at her best friend - but until that moment, the bard had been blind. A smile touched her lips as Gabrielle entertained the idea that Xena might be attracted to her.

"What?" Xena inquired, a little perturbed that the bard seemed amused by her attempted apology.

"Oh nothing, Xena." Gabrielle replied with an innocent smile, which irritated the warrior all the more.

"Perfect. Well, as long as you're having a good time..." Xena replied, shifting uncomfortably.

Gabrielle bridged the distance between them then. "I'm sorry." She said sincerely, putting her arms around the warrior's waist and hugging her. Xena returned the embrace without hesitation, still thoroughly confused. Gabrielle, testing her newfound theory, snuggled into Xena's chest and softly ran her hands down the warrior's back.

The bard felt it then...as Xena's breathing changed and the warrior's heart raced in response to her touch. Gabrielle smiled and nuzzled Xena's neck, relishing her new discovery and pushing the limits of the warrior's self-control.

"What are you doing, Gabrielle?" Xena questioned, ending the embrace and holding the bard at arm's length.

"I was just hugging you, Xena." She replied, her green eyes smiling. "Is there something wrong?" She asked feigning innocence.

"No no, fine, just fine." Xena replied, trying to regain control of her breathing.

"I'm so glad that we could work this out." Gabrielle said, smiling as she stood on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on Xena's lips, before walking away from the stunned warrior.

--------------------------------------------

At lunch, Buffy and Willow sat in the schoolyard talking. Buffy told Willow about her conversation with her Mom on the phone the day before.

"Mom was so excited that I got into Northwestern. She doesn't understand. She really thinks that I can go away to college."

"Sounds like your mom's in a state of denial."

"More like a continent." Buffy corrected. "She just has to realize that I can't go away."

"Well, maybe not now, but soon, maybe. Or maybe I too hail from Denial Land." Willow admitted.

"Faith's turn to the dark side of the Force pretty much put the proverbial kibosh on any away plans for me. UC Sunnydale – at least I got in. You! I mean I can't believe you got into Oxford!" Buffy said.

"It's pretty exciting." Willow admitted.

"That's where they make Gileses."

"I know! I could learn...and have scones. Although I-I don't know how I feel about going to school in a foreign country." _'Or how I feel about the prospect of leaving Buffy.' _Willow admitted to herself.

-----------------------------------------------------------

After all of their classes were done for the day, Willow headed to the library to meet up with Buffy, Xena and Gabrielle. Moments later, Buffy and Wesley walked into the library, obviously already in the midst of a heated debate.

"I don't understand." Wesley said.

"Well, I don't think I can talk any slower, Wes. I want to leave."

"What? Now?"

"No, not now. After I graduate, you know, college?" Buffy said sarcastically.

"But, you're a Slayer."

"Yeah, I'm also a person. You can't just define me by my Slayer-ness. That's ... something-ism." Buffy argued.

Giles who was listening from the door of his office stepped into the fray. "Buffy, I know we've talked about you going away..."

"I got into Northwestern." Buffy informed him.

"That's wonderful news. Good for you." Giles said, clearly proud.

"Alright, everyone. Monsters, demons, world in peril?" Wesley interrupted, annoyed that he was again being ignored.

"I bet you they have all that stuff in Illinois." Buffy interjected.

"You cannot leave Sunnydale. By the power invested in me by the Council, I forbid it." Wesley replied. Buffy rolled her eyes and turned her back on Wesley.

"Ah yes, that should settle it." Giles commented, prompting another tirade from Wesley.

"Faith gone bad, and the Mayor's Ascension coming up, ... "

"I know it's complicated. I'm aware that my graduation may be, among other things, posthumous, but... What if I stop the Ascension? What if I capture Faith?" Buffy asked, interrupting the dark-haired watcher wanna-be. 

"I very much hope you will." Giles agreed.

"If I do that, then all you guys have to do is keep the run of the mill unholy forces at bay through mid-terms and I'll be back in time for Homecoming, and every school break after that. Can we at least think about it?" Buffy asked.

"Perhaps if circumstances were different." Wesley allowed.

"I'll make them different." Buffy declared.

"What?" Wesley asked, looking confused.

"I'm tired of waiting for Mayor McSleaze to make his move while we sit on our hands counting down to Ascension Day. I mean, let's take the fight to him."

"No. No! Much too reckless. We're at a distinct disadvantage. We don't know anything about the Mayor's Ascension..." Wesley piped up.

"She's right." Giles said, backing Buffy up. "Time's running out. We need to take the offensive." Turning to Buffy, he added. "What's your plan?"

"I gotta have a plan? Really? I can't just be proactive with pep?"

"No. You want to take the fight to them? I suggest the first step would be to find out exactly what they're up to." Giles offered.

"Oh. I actually knew that. I thought you meant a more specific plan, you know, like with maps and stuff. Great. We'll find out what they're up to."

--------------------------------------------

Buffy left shortly thereafter with plans to stake out City Hall. A little after dark, a black limousine pulled up and Faith got out, carrying a box inside. Buffy watched all of this from the bushes and opted to follow the limo. When the car came to a stop in a nearby parking lot, the vamp driving, hearing a noise, looked back through the rear window. Buffy took the opportunity to smash the driver's side window with her fist and pulled his upper body out of the window.

"So, what's in the box?" She asked.

----------------------------------------------

Later, back at the library, the group was in full research mode when Buffy found what she was looking for in the book that she was reading. "The Box of Gavrock. It houses some great demonic energy or something which His Honor needs to chow down on come A-Day." She announced to the group.

Just then Giles and Willow entered the library carrying some large drawings.

"What's that?" Wesley asked.

"Maps. And stuff." Giles responded. 

"Plans for City Hall. They were in the Water and Power mainframe." Willow explained.

"The box is being kept under guard in a conference room on the top floor." Buffy informed them, pointing to a map sheet. "There. Unfortunately, that's all I could get out of my informant before his aggressive tendencies forced me to introduce him to Mr. Pointy."

"Well, now, here's what I think we should do..." Wesley began, in his typical arrogant manner.

Buffy, ignoring him, continued. "I figure we can enter through the skylight. I'll take Xena with me."

"Agreed." Giles replied.

"And there's a fire ladder on the east side of the building." Xander added, pointing to it on the map. "Here." 

"Yes, yes, fine, but we still need to consider whether the Mayor..." Wesley interrupted.

But Giles continued with his train of thought also ignoring Wesley. "It won't be enough to simply have possession of the box." 

"Right, we have to destroy it. Not just physically - ritually, with some down and dirty black magic." Willow interjected excitedly.

"Hang on. We don't know what such a ritual would require." Wesley argued.

Giles, flipping through a book, quickly added, "I think the Breath of the Atropyx is standard for this sort of thing. Fairly simple recipe. Xander?" Wesley tried to read over Giles' shoulder but Giles handed the book to Xander. 

"I know. I'm ingredient-getting guy." Xander said, taking the book without question.

"Alright, stop! I demand everyone STOP this instant!" Wesley piped up. Everyone stopped for a second to look at him. "I'm in charge here and I say this is all moving much too fast. We need time to fully analyze the situation and devise a proper and strategic stratagem." Wesley concluded.

"Wes, hop on the train or get off the tracks." Buffy advised. 

"The Mayor will most assuredly have supernatural safeguards protecting the box." Wesley interjected. "Oh, we all forgot about that, did we?"

"Looks like a job for Wiccan girl. What do you say, Will? Big time danger." Buffy said with a smile.

"Hey, I eat danger for breakfast." Willow replied, offering the blonde a playful smile that temporarily sent the slayer's heart into overdrive.

Pulling Gabrielle aside, Xena asked, "Are you okay with staying here to help _him_ while we're gone?" gesturing to Xander.

"Of course, Xena." The bard replied. "Don't worry." She assured the warrior. "He's harmless I think. He's Joxer, remember." Gabrielle joked, looking over to find Xander making eyes at her. "Annoying, but harmless." She added, rolling her eyes.

"That's Joxer all right. I'm sure you can keep him in line." Xena replied, smiling down at the bard. "And with any luck, we'll be back soon." The warrior added, turning to leave.

"Xena?" Gabrielle called, stopping the raven-haired warrior in her tracks. "Please be careful." Xena nodded, offering a reassuring smile before turning and taking her place next to Buffy once again.

"Let's get to work." Buffy said.

The gang filed past Wesley. Giles pushed a map into Wesley's hands as he walked past him. Wesley moped for a moment, then finally turned to follow the group out of the library.

----------------------------------------------------

While the rest of the group was gone, Xander and Gabrielle mixed the spell ingredients in a large ceramic pot according to the directions Willow had left for them. When that was done, Xander turned his attention to Gabrielle once again. "This is great. Now we have a chance to get to know one another." He said, trying (without success) to be suave as he pulled up a chair beside her.

"Yeah, great." Gabrielle mumbled, wishing that Xena and the others were back.

"So...I haven't seen you around before. Do you live around here?" He asked.

"Not exactly."

"I didn't think so. I would have remembered seeing you." Xander assured her, moving further into her personal space. "You and I should get together this weekend, maybe catch a movie?" He proposed.

"It's kind of you to offer, but I don't think so." Gabrielle replied, getting up and moving across the room with Xander following closely behind her. _'He's not going to give up.' _She sighed. _'Where are you, Xena?'_

--------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, on the roof of City Hall, the trio looked down through the skylight, seeing the Box of Gavrock sitting on a conference table below. Xena opened the skylight. Buffy handed Willow a book and a bottle containing sand. Willow read the spell while pouring the sand over the box. As the sand fell, a blue force field became visible around the box, then suddenly disappeared when the spell was broken.

"Oh yeah, I'm bad." Willow said with a big smile. 

"Four stars, Will. Now get going." Buffy responded, anxious for Willow to get back to the van and out of danger.

"I'm gone." Willow replied, before climbing down the fire ladder toward the ground.

Xena helped Buffy into a harness and set up a pulley system. She lowered the slayer down through the skylight, holding her over the box.

"Got it!" Buffy called up to Xena. As she lifted the box off the table, an alarm bell rang. Before Xena could pull Buffy back up, two vampires entered the room with their game-faces on.

"Don't suppose you wanna help me get down?" Buffy quipped. The vamps growl in response. "Didn't think so." Buffy said.

Xena, assessing the situation, leapt down to the table to aid in the fight, her distinctive battle-cry distracting the vamps momentarily. Buffy took on one of the vampire guards, kicking him across the room in spite of still being stuck in the harness, dangling in midair. Xena planted a kick in the other vampire's face that sent him crashing into his companion, before turning to help Buffy out of the harness. Once Buffy was free of the harness, the slayer and warrior princess escaped the room and ran out of the building, ducking into some nearby bushes in an effort to lose the guards that were still chasing them.

Back at the library a short time later, the gang was all assembled, minus Willow.

"How did you guys let ... How did this happen?" Buffy asked, trying to contain her anger at the realization that Willow hadn't made it back to safety.

"We thought she stayed with you." Giles explained.

"They must have grabbed her when she hit the ground. Buffy, I'm sorry." Xena sympathized, knowing how much Buffy cares for Willow.

Gabrielle moved closer to Xena, feeling comforted in her presence. Seeing the worry on the bard's face, Xena moved to reassure her, putting an arm around her shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Look, it's nobody's fault, okay. We just need to focus and deal. I swear I won't let them hurt her." Buffy pledged, calling on all of her strength. _'I can't lose you now, Will. I can't.'_ The slayer thought, trying to dispel the growing ache in the pit of her stomach. 

"We go back. Full-on assault." Xander suggested.

"They'll kill her." Giles interjected.

"We're assuming they haven't already." Wesley piped in.

"No. No, they know what she means to us. She's too valuable as long as we still have the box...We trade." Buffy concluded.

"We can't." Wesley said.

"No, it's the safest plan." Buffy insisted, then turning to Giles, "It's the only way, right?" 

"It might well be." Giles admitted.

"Look, we call the Mayor and arrange a meeting." Buffy decided.

"This box must be destroyed." Wesley demanded.

"I need a volunteer to hit Wesley." Xander interjected.

"Giles, you know I'm right about this." Wesley added.

"Wes, you wanna duck and cover at this point?" Buffy replied, barely containing her desire to pummel the jerk.

"Damn it, you listen to me! This box is the key to the Mayor's Ascension. Thousands of lives depend on our getting rid of it. Now, I want to help Willow as much as the rest of you, but we will find another way." Wesley replied.

"There is no other way." Buffy stated, staring him down.

"You're the one who said take the fight to the Mayor. You were right. This is the town's best hope of survival. It's your chance to get out." Wesley continued.

"You think I care about that? Are you made of human parts?" Buffy replied, getting in his face.

"Alright! Let's deal with this rationally." Giles said, stepping in.

"Why are you taking his side?" Buffy asked, getting more out of control by the second.

"You'd sacrifice thousands of lives? Your families, your friends?" Wesley questioned.

The slayer stood silent, her mind made up. No one took her sense of duty more seriously than Buffy did as the slayer, but sacrificing Willow was _not_ part of the deal.

"It can all end right here. We have the means to destroy this box." Wesley added.

_'I'll fix that.'_ Buffy decided, veering around Wesley and flinging the pot with the spell ingredients across the room where it smashed into a display case, shattering into a thousand pieces on the library floor.

Everyone looked at each other, silent for a moment. Finally, Buffy turned to the elder watcher, "Giles, make the call."

Gabrielle looked worriedly at Xena, who had remained remarkably silent throughout the argument. Xena was visibly upset by Willow's capture, feeling partially responsible, and understood well Buffy's need to protect the redhead at any cost. She knew that she would do the same for Gabrielle.

"I'm sure she'll be okay, Xena." The bard offered.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile at City Hall, Willow had managed to find her way into the mayor's office and discovered the mayor's cupboard of magic stuff. With a little exploration inside, she found a hidden compartment containing the Books of Ascension, and began skimming the pages.

"Check out the bookworm." Faith quipped, appearing in the office doorway.

"Faith!" Willow replied, looking up, clearly surprised to see the dark slayer.

"Anyone with brains, anyone who knew what was going to happen to her, would be tryin' to claw her way out of this place. But you, you just can't stop Nancy Drew-ing, can you? Guess now you know too much and that kinda just naturally leads to killing."

"Faith, wait. I want to talk to you." Willow replied, stalling for time as she got to her feet.

"Oh yeah? Give me the speech again, _please_. 'Faith, we're still your friends. We can help you. It's not too late.'" Faith mouthed sarcastically.

A fire raged inside Willow then and she couldn't hold back any longer as she faced the deadly dark slayer. "It's way too late." Willow corrected, fuming at the jaded brunette who had been the source of so much pain in all of their lives since she had breezed into Sunnydale.

"You know, it didn't have to be this way. But you made your choice. I know you had a tough life. I know that some people think you had a lot of bad breaks. Well, boo hoo! Poor you. You know...you had a lot more in your life than some people. I mean, you had friends in your life like Buffy. Now you have no one. You were a Slayer and now you're nothing. You're just a big selfish, worthless waste." Willow continued, unable to reign herself in.

Faith, being Faith, punched Willow in the face then, sending the redhead to the ground. "You hurt me, I hurt you. I'm just a little more efficient."

"Aw, here I just thought you didn't have a come-back." Willow retorted, climbing to her feet again.

"You're begging for some deep pain."

"I'm not afraid of you." Willow said, looking Faith in the eye.

"Let's see what we can do about that." Faith replied, pulling out the large knife that the mayor had given her, and holding it to Willow's throat.

"Girls, I hope I don't have to separate you two. Faith, you can play with your new toy later. Something's come up." The mayor interjected from his place in the doorway.

Faith didn't move, still holding the knife to Willow's neck, staring into her eyes.

"Faith! You know I don't like repeating myself." The mayor scolded.

"I got someone. I got him." Faith asserted, finally letting Willow go.

----------------------------------------

Back at the school, the gang plus Angel all waited for the mayor in the cafeteria, the designated meeting place. Giles had insisted on calling Angel for backup, in case a fight ensued with the mayor's henchmen.

The two vampire guards pushed open the front doors and entered, followed by the Mayor, then Faith who was holding Willow, again with the knife to her throat. The two groups stopped and glared at each other. The mayor and Buffy moved toward each other in the center of the room. 

"Well, this is exciting, isn't it?" The mayor chuckled. "Clandestine meetings by dark of night. Exchange of prisoners. I just, I, I feel like we should all be wearing trench coats."

"Let her go." Buffy demanded, unable to contain herself any longer, her eyes glued to Willow's.

"No. Not until the box is in my hands. So...you're the little girl that's been causing me all this trouble. She's pretty, Angel...a little skinny. Still don't understand why it couldn't work out with you and my Faith. Guess you kind of just have strange taste in women." The mayor prattled on.

"Well, what can I say? I like them sane." Angel replied, an idiotic response considering that Faith was still holding Willow's life in her hands. Willow winced as Faith tightened her grip threateningly in response to the insult. 

"Angel." Buffy scolded.

"Well, I wish you kids the best, I really do. But if you don't mind a bit of fatherly advice, I, uh, I-I just don't see much of a future for you two. I don't sense a lasting relationship. And not just because I plan to kill you. You two have a bumpy road ahead." The mayor philosophized.

"I don't think we need to talk about this." Buffy interjected. 

"God, you kids! You know...you don't like to think about the future. You don't like to make plans. But unless you want Faith to gut your little friend like a sea bass, you'll show a little respect for your elders."

Angel in another bout of stupidity, challenged, "You're not my elder. I've got a lotta years on you." And Giles began to question his decision to include Angel in this meeting.

"Yeah, and that's just one of the things you're going to have to deal with. You're immortal. She's not. It's not going to be easy. I married my Edna May in Ott-three and I was with her right until the end. Not a pretty picture...wrinkled and senile and cursing me for my youth...wasn't our happiest time. And let's not forget the fact that any moment of true happiness will turn you evil. I mean, come on. What kind of a life can you offer her? I don't see a lot of Sunday picnics in the offing. I see skulking in the shadows, hiding from the sun. She's a blossoming young girl and you want to keep her from the life she should have until it has passed her by. My God! I think that's a little selfish. Is that what you came back from Hell for? Is that your greater purpose?" The mayor asked, staring at Angel for a moment and then shaking his head in disgust. "Make the trade."

-------------------------------------------

Later after the mayor and his henchmen had gone, Wesley let out the breath he'd been holding and once again found his voice. "Well, that went swimmingly." He said sarcastically. 

Xena glared at him, clearly fed up with his arrogance and the way he treated Buffy. Wesley visibly paled under her gaze and said nothing more.

"We did alright." Buffy proclaimed, speaking volumes as she gazed tenderly into Willow's eyes, feeling incredibly lucky just to have her back safe.

Back in the library a few minutes later, Buffy and Willow sat cross-legged on the counter talking about the ordeal while Giles and Wesley stood back listening. "So Faith was like I'm going to beat you up and I'm all 'I'm not afraid of you' and then she had the knife which was less fun a-and then, oh! I-I told her you made your choice, Buffy was your friend..." Willow recalled, talking animatedly to Buffy, both of them enjoying their time together after the stressful evening.

Giles interrupted, "This is fascinating, but let's get back to the point. You actually had your hands on the Books of Ascension?"

"Volumes One through Five." Willow confirmed.

"Is there anything you can remember that could be of use to us? Anything at all?" Giles inquired.

"Well, I was in a hurry, and what I did read was kind of involved. If you ask me, _way_ over-written. Actually, there were a few pages that looked kind of interesting, but I didn't have a chance to read them fully." Willow replied.

Giles looked disheartened for a moment. "See what you can make of them?" Willow added, with a cute Willowy smile, pulling the folded pages out of her pocket and offering them to the watcher. Giles, smiling like a kid at Christmas, rushed off with the pages.

"This is your night for suave, Will. You should get captured more often." Buffy noted, smiling fondly at the redhead.

"No, thank you." Willow replied, her heart skipping a beat in response to the warmth radiated in Buffy's smile.

Feeling the need to rain on their parade as usual, Wesley interrupted, "Well, let's hope there is _something_ useful in those pages. The mayor has the Box of Gavrock. As of now, we are right back where we started. Wouldn't you say?" Buffy looked a little down at the realization, but refused to apologize for saving Willow.

------------------------------------------------------ Continued in Chapter 11


	11. Clandestine Meetings By Dark Of Night

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 11 - Clandestine Meetings By Dark Of Night

Buffy, Willow, Xena and Gabrielle left the library together then. As they walked across the schoolyard, Buffy stopped, suddenly remembering something, and turned to Willow. "Oh I forgot. I'm supposed to meet Angel tonight. He wants to talk and I'm gonna do a quick patrol on the way. You guys go on ahead without me, check in with Jan, and I'll meet you at the house in no time. I promise."

"Sure, Buff." Willow replied, trying to ignore the twinge of jealousy that rose in her chest at the thought of Angel and Buffy together.

"Will you guys be alright? What am I saying? Of course you will...Xena's with you." Buffy realized. Turning to Xena, she added. "Take good care of my Willow. We just got her back." The hacker felt the blush rising on her cheeks as Buffy pulled her into a sideways hug.

"I hear ya." Xena agreed, flashing the slayer a knowing smile.

"Thanks...for everything you did tonight." Buffy added.

"Don't mention it." The warrior replied. "Glad I could help."

"Be careful." Willow called after Buffy as she headed in the opposite direction across the schoolyard.

"Always." Buffy replied with an endearing smile, turning back to reassure the redhead before continuing on her way.

------------------------------------------------

Willow and Gabrielle talked animatedly about the events of the evening as they made their way through the darkened streets toward the Rosenberg home. Xena raised an eyebrow a time or two and even joined the conversation as Willow recounted the details of her capture that evening.

Xena marveled at the normally shy redhead's bravery that night. _'Just like Gabrielle,' _She mused, _'So young and innocent. With the same amazing inner strength and conviction.'_

"Hey, Red. I was hopin' I'd run into you." Faith said, stepping out of the shadows in front of Willow, bringing the trio to an abrupt halt. "I see you've made some new friends." She commented, flashing Gabrielle a predatory grin before looking up at Xena. "Man, you're wicked tall for a chick."

"What do you want, Faith?" Willow demanded.

"I was thinkin' we could finish what we started earlier." Faith said with an evil grin before taking a swing at Willow. Shock shown on the dark slayer's face as she found her fist intercepted by the warrior princess who crushed Faith's fist in her own hand before sending her reeling backward with a powerful shove.

"What's this? New _bodyguard_?" Faith mocked, looking from Xena to Willow with contempt.

"Something like that." Xena said, stepping in between Faith and Willow.

"Well, ain't that the _shit_. Where's B anyway? Off with her boy-toy, letting her little girlfriend fend for herself?" Faith taunted, then turned to Xena, "Look, I've got no beef with you." She said, raising her hands in surrender. "But I will kick your ass if you get in my way." She pledged, taking a cheap shot at Xena, hoping to catch her off guard.

The warrior blocked the blow and countered with a forceful kick to the midsection sending Faith to the ground. Faith scrambled back to her feet and Xena offered, "Walk away while you still can. I don't want to fight you."

Faith, realizing that she had underestimated Xena, came at the warrior with a full battery of punches and kicks. Xena blocked and countered, trading blows with the dark slayer and finally drawing first blood when she landed a punch that split open Faith's lower lip. Xena paused, hoping the girl had come to her senses and would back down. Little did Xena know...things are never that simple with Faith.

Faith laughed wickedly, clearly enjoying the battle, and came at the warrior like a crazed animal, finally landing a punch of her own in Xena's midsection that sent the warrior a little off balance.

Feeling responsible and suddenly afraid for Xena, Willow started to step into the fray until Gabrielle caught her arm. "Xena will be okay." She assured the hacker.

Turning their attention back to the battle, Willow caught a glimpse of something in Faith's hand. "She's got a knife, Xena." She cried, rushing toward them.

As Willow approached, Faith turned her attention to the redhead, lunging at her with the weapon and missing her by mere inches. Xena, who had been holding back, let loose then with all of her rage. In a matter of seconds, the warrior had rained a series of kicks and punches on the slayer, knocking the knife out of her hand, sending it skittering across the pavement.

Before Faith could regain her senses, Xena had her up against a nearby fence, holding her by the throat as she dangled a foot above the ground. Faith's eyes showed a mixture of fear and some twisted sort of enjoyment, as if she had a bona fide death wish that was about to come true.

Willow stood in shocked silence, never having seen Xena this angry before, wondering if she would actually kill Faith. From the wild look in the warrior's eye, the hacker thought that she might.

Gabrielle stepped up to Xena then, laying a hand softly on her shoulder, "Xena?" The bard said calmly. "You can let her go now. I've got her weapon. We're all safe." Xena hesitated for a moment, then she glanced at the bard and her expression softened. The warrior's rage dissipated almost instantly.

She turned her attention back to the stunned ex-slayer. "Stay away from my friends. I won't hesitate to kill you if I have to." Xena ground out, the rage flashing in her blue eyes again. She released her grip then and Faith crumpled to the ground gasping for air before stumbling off into the darkness.

"Are you okay?" Xena asked softly, approaching the shaken redhead. Willow nodded, at a loss for words after what she had just witnessed. "I think you've had enough excitement for today." She added. "Let's get you home."

The trio walked in silence for a block or two before Willow finally found her voice. "Thanks." She said, smiling up gratefully at the tall warrior walking next to her.

"Don't mention it." Xena replied, putting one arm protectively around the hacker and the other around Gabrielle, who gratefully leaned into the warrior's side. "You shouldn't have gotten in the middle of it, though, Willow. You could have been hurt." Xena softly scolded her. "If something had happened to you..." The warrior trailed off, not wanting to think about it.

"Sorry." Willow said, pouting slightly. "I just didn't want you to get hurt protecting me. I-I thought she was going to kill you. She would, too, you know. She's that evil." The hacker replied, her anger rising again at the thought of the dark slayer.

"How did she ever get to be a slayer?" Gabrielle mused.

"I don't know." Willow replied. "I mean, Buffy is the best person I know, always putting everyone else's needs ahead of her own. She's gone through so much as the slayer, but she's never changed _inside_, you know. She's so caring and so selfless and Faith is so..._not_. I don't think two people could be more different." The redhead concluded.

"You're right about that." Xena confirmed.

-------------------------------------------------

"You're late." Angel said as Buffy approached the tree in the center of the cemetery, where they had planned to meet.

"Sorry, I was a little tied up." Buffy said with a hint of sarcasm, pocketing her stake. "I ran into some _friends_ on the way."

"Are you okay?"

"Sure." Buffy replied. "There was only three of them, no big. So, what did you want to talk about? Cause...I kind of need to get back to Willow's."

"Oh, uh I've just been thinking...about our future. And the more I do, the more I feel like us, you and me being together, is unfair to you." Angel replied.

"Is this about what the mayor said?" Buffy asked. Even though he is a big stupid evil guy, the slayer had to admit that the things he had said hit home.

"He was right." Angel replied. "You deserve more. You deserve something outside of demons and darkness. You should be with someone who can take you into the light. Someone who can make love to you." He added.

Buffy opened her mouth to disagree when a thought of Willow skittered through the slayer's mind. Lost in her own thoughts, she remained silent.

"Before you know it, you'll want it all, a normal life." Angel continued.

"I'll never have a normal life." Buffy interjected, more than a little bitter about that fact.

"Right, you'll always be a Slayer. But that's all the more reason why you should have a real relationship instead of this, this freak show." Angel replied, stunning the slayer into silence once again.

"I'm leaving. After the Ascension, after it's finished with the Mayor and Faith. If we survive, I'll go." He concluded.

"Maybe that would be best." Buffy answered finally, a little sad. She had known for a long time that things weren't right between them. Nothing had really been the same since Angel had lost his soul and went on a killing spree more than a year before, Buffy admitted. She still cared about him. They had a history. Still, she couldn't honestly say that she was in love with him anymore.

"You know I love you?" Angel asked.

"I know." Buffy said quietly, offering him a small smile.

Unsure what else to say, they laid the issue to rest. And, after saying their good-byes, Angel stood and watched as Buffy walked out of his life.

----------------------------------------------------

When the group made it back to Willow's house, the redhead went upstairs to check her email, certain that Xena and Gabrielle were anxious to know if they could go ahead with the spell. Within minutes, she bounded down the stairs to tell them the news. "Jan says the spell should work with the ingredients we have." She informed them with a yawn. "So, we can go ahead as soon as Buffy gets back if you want."

"That's great news. Isn't it, Xena?" Gabrielle responded.

The warrior nodded in agreement. "You've had a long day. Why don't you get some sleep?" She said to the yawning redhead.

"I'm okay. Really. I know you two are looking forward to getting home." Willow replied.

"A few more hours won't make a difference really. And we could use the rest too." Xena assured her.

"Well...if you're _sure_...I promise, first thing in the morning..." Willow replied.

"That'll be fine." Xena said, smiling at the yawning redhead. "Get some rest. We'll see you in the morning."

"Okay...goodnight then...oh, and thanks again for everything you did today." Willow said before heading upstairs again and crawling into bed.

"'k, I'm here. What did Jan say?" Buffy asked, coming in the front door about fifteen minutes later.

"Willow said that we can give it a try, the ingredients she has should work fine." Gabrielle replied.

"So, where is my favorite redhead anyway?" Buffy asked, looking around.

"We had a little run-in with Faith on the way here..." Xena said.

"Faith? What happened? Is Willow okay?"

"She's fine. A bit shaken up, but she wasn't hurt." The warrior assured her. "She was exhausted, so I told her to get some sleep. We can try the spell tomorrow." Xena explained.

"I should have known after what happened tonight that Faith would come after her." Buffy said, pacing the room. "You're sure Will's okay?" She asked, pausing in the middle of the floor to look at the warrior.

"Like I said, she was pretty upset...but other than that, she's okay." Xena confirmed.

"What exactly happened?" Buffy asked.

Xena and Gabrielle relayed the events of their encounter with Faith as the slayer paced restlessly back and forth in front of them. When Gabrielle told her about Willow nearly being stabbed, Buffy lost it. "I'll kill her." She said, heading for the door, determined to hunt Faith down and make her pay.

The warrior caught her by the arm as she reached for the doorknob. "Try to calm down, Buffy." Xena urged. "I know how you feel. I would have killed her myself if Gabrielle hadn't stepped in."

The slayer stepped back from the door and leaned against the wall. "Thank you, Xena." Buffy said. The weight of it all came crashing down on her then and Buffy slid down the wall to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest as the tears began to flow. "If you hadn't been there..."

"But I was. And she's safe now." Xena assured her, squatting down in front of the petite blonde to meet her gaze.

"Twice in one night." Buffy whispered around the lump in her throat. "I almost lost her."

"But you didn't." The warrior reminded her. "That's all that matters." Xena's heart went out to the girl in front of her. The warrior cursed the fates for the burden that Buffy must bear - the weight of the world on her shoulders every day - something that no one should have to carry, let alone someone so young. "Why don't you go up and try to get some sleep?" Xena urged, gently brushing a few strands of hair back from Buffy's face.

Buffy nodded in agreement. "I want to check on Will anyway..."

"We'll see you in the morning then." Xena said as Buffy got to her feet.

Buffy nodded, a silent thank-you written in her expression, before turning and going up the stairs. She eased open the door to Willow's room and slipped inside, quietly closing the door behind her.

"Buffy?" The redhead asked in a sleepy voice.

"Yeah, it's me, Will." Buffy replied, kneeling down beside the bed. "Go back to sleep." She urged, reaching out to caress Willow's cheek.

"Aren't you coming to bed?" Willow asked sleepily, her eyes still closed.

"Sure." Buffy replied, a single tear slipping down her cheek as she silently thanked the powers that be for keeping Willow safe that day. She quickly went to the other side of the bed, kicked off her shoes and crawled in. For a moment she simply lay there on her side of the bed, longing to bridge the distance between them.

Finally, she reached out, slowly brushing the hair back from the redhead's face. Willow stirred at the touch, murmuring sleepily as she turned into the slayer's arms. Buffy smiled then, for what felt like the first time in days, as the hacker made herself at home - her head resting on Buffy's shoulder and one arm draped possessively around the slayer's waist. Relishing the feeling of simply holding Willow close, Buffy slowly relaxed and soon drifted off to sleep.

As the morning sun filled the room, the slayer woke to find the redhead still snuggled into her side sleeping soundly. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, Buffy saw that it was already after 7:00. School, the slayer thought with a sigh, was the last place she wanted to be today.

As Willow began to stir, the slayer formulated a plan to salvage the day. A contented smile appeared on the redhead's face as she savored the warmth of Buffy's embrace before finally opening her eyes to find the blonde regarding her closely. "You're up..." Willow said nervously, moving back to her own side of the bed.

"Yep." Buffy smiled, turning onto her side to face the hacker. "And I've been thinking."

"About?" Willow asked tentatively, completely clueless as to what to expect.

"Well, after cramming a week's worth of work into one day yesterday, I'm feeling the need for a little vacation. So, what do you say...wanna play hooky with me?" Buffy asked, putting on what she hoped was her most irresistible smile. "Pretty please with sugar on top..." She added for good measure, giving Willow her best impression of puppy-dog eyes.

The redhead giggled and nodded her agreement.

"Is that a yes?" Buffy asked excitedly.

"Uh huh." Willow confirmed, still giggling.

"Wow, that was easier than I thought." Buffy noted before continuing. "Can I eat junk food and watch TV all day?" She asked excitedly. "Huh, can I?" The redhead nodded.

"And can I drink milk right out of the carton?"

"Is there any other way?" Willow asked, with an impish grin.

"Ooo, and can I have a pony?"

"Uh huh."

"Are you gonna give me anything I want?" Buffy asked. "'Cause if so, I'm gonna need some time to think about this." She concluded with a mischievous grin.

"You think about it...and I'll call Giles and tell him that _we_ are taking the day off!" Willow replied, reluctantly climbing out of bed.

"Good idea." Buffy agreed, hopping off the bed. "And Will..."

"Yeah, Buffy?" The redhead turned to face her best friend.

"Xena told me what happened...with Faith" The slayer said, her voice quiet. "I'm sorry I wasn't there...I'm so glad that you're okay." She said, locking her gaze onto the most amazing green eyes that she'd ever seen, then pulling the redhead in for a hug.

"Aww, Buffy. I'm okay. Really." Willow said, stroking Buffy's back reassuringly as the slayer clung to her. "Besides, it was kinda fun watching Faith get a much-deserved butt-kicking." She joked.

"I'll bet." The slayer agreed, laughing a little before finally ending the embrace.

"So..." Willow said. "We call Giles, then work a little dark mo-jo for Xena and Gabrielle, then we can just kick back and relax, eat junk food and watch TV, drink a little milk right out of the jug, and then we'll go out and buy _you_ a pony, young lady." She chuckled. "Did I forget anything?"

Buffy laughed. "No, I think that about covers it...for now." She added with a playful grin.

------------------------------------------------------ Continued in Chapter 12


	12. Playing Hooky

Title: Ages Apart

By: dawnm

Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy season 3 episode "Choices" and Xena season 2 episode "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", but events from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as well.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 12 - Playing Hooky

Little more than an hour later, the obligatory call to Giles was done and Willow was scrambling about, gathering everything that was needed for the spell. In preparation, the warrior and bard changed back into their own clothes. Xena smiled, feeling like herself again, as she put on her armor and snapped her chakram into place at her side.

When they descended the stairs once again, Willow looked at Xena, now dressed in full battle dress, and realized then why she had found the warrior so intimidating at first. "I'm gonna need to take a picture of you two...for the spell." The redhead informed them. "And maybe one or two for Buffy and I to remember you by...if that's okay." She added with a shy smile.

"Why don't you guys stand here in front of the hearth?" Buffy suggested.

The warrior and bard followed the slayer's direction and Willow snapped the first photo. When the picture rolled out of the instant camera, the redhead held it for a moment until it finished developing, then handed it to Gabrielle who looked at it in disbelief. There they were, she and Xena, in living color. She passed it to the warrior who was equally impressed that the object in Willow's hands could produce an instant likeness of them.

"You can keep that one if you want." Willow offered. "I can make more." She said, indicating the camera in her hands.

"Thanks. This is amazing. Can you make one of you and Buffy? It would be so nice to have one...to remember you." The bard explained, with a note of sadness in her voice.

"Sure. Let me just take a few more of you guys first." Willow replied. After snapping a couple more shots of Xena and Gabrielle, the redhead asked, "Okay, which one of you wants to take our picture?"

"Go ahead, Gabrielle." Xena offered.

Willow showed Gabrielle how to use the camera before joining Buffy on the couch. Gabrielle took a minute lining up the shot before taking the picture. When it emerged from the camera, Xena held the photo, watching in amazement as the image appeared on the paper in front of her.

With that done, Willow laid out the necessary items on the living room floor while the others looked on. When everything was ready, she stood up and turned to Xena. "Okay, I think we're ready to begin."

"When we do this, that's it, isn't it? We won't be seeing you again?" Gabrielle asked.

"If it works right, you should be back home, pretty much when and where you were before Kronos sent you here." Willow clarified. "So...I guess this is goodbye." She said reluctantly.

"We'll miss you." Gabrielle said hugging first Willow and then Buffy. "It's been so wonderful getting to know you."

"I miss you already." Willow pouted, throwing her arms around the warrior who graciously accepted the hug, even though she rarely hugged anyone.

"Take care of yourself." Xena said, looking into Willow's eyes. "And take care of Buffy. She needs you to keep her in line."

"Hey, I resent that." Buffy interjected, feigning hurt. "It's true, but still..."

Buffy looked from Gabrielle to Xena. "I have to say...these past few days with you guys have been...well...strange." She joked. "Seriously though, it's been nice having you around, more than nice actually...really great." Buffy confided, genuinely sad to see them go. She extended her hand to Xena, who shook it before pulling the slayer into a fierce hug.

"I guess we should get started then." Buffy said sadly, stepping back a minute later.

"Right. What do you need us to do?" Xena asked.

"First, we have to sit in a circle, here on the floor. I'll light the candles and mix a few ingredients. Then we'll all join hands and close our eyes. I will recite the incantation. This spell should open a temporal fold, a portal, sort of like the one that brought you here but not exactly. You should know...it might be pretty intense. I tried a spell that opened a temporal fold once before and I saw all of these images...it's pretty powerful magick. Try not to be afraid. Just relax and focus on going home. Then Buffy and I have to pour the sacred sand over your picture. If all goes well...you'll be home. So...are we ready?"

Seeing nods all around, Willow showed them where to sit, then walked around lighting each candle before taking her seat on the floor between Buffy and Gabrielle, completing the circle. She added the eye of newt, chicken's feet, and other ingredients to the brass bowl in front of her. Then, she held out her hands and the others followed suit, all joining hands.

Willow closed her eyes, took a cleansing breath and tried to clear her mind before beginning the incantation.

_Aradia, Goddess of the lost, I call on thee.  
__The child to the mother. The river to the sea._

Images flashed through Willow's mind, signaling her that the temporal fold was opening. Some rather disturbing pieces of Xena and Gabrielle's lives played out before her eyes.

The room crackled with energy as the portal grew. Unsteadily, Willow guided Buffy's hand with her own to the bottle of sacred sand. Together they picked it up and slowly poured it onto the picture that lay in the center of the circle. The images came more quickly then, flooding Willow's mind. She began to shake violently and within seconds, she blacked out, falling to the floor unconscious.

--------------------------------------------------------

Xena stirred and tried to sit up. The pain in her head was excruciating. She collapsed back to the ground and lay there for a moment before it registered that she was no longer in Willow's house. She tried again to rise, more slowly this time, and made her way to Gabrielle's side. The bard was lying on the ground nearby, moaning slightly. "Gabrielle, are you okay?"

"My head...is killing me." The bard complained, as she slowly opened her eyes. "We made it, Xena. We're home?" She asked in disbelief, realizing that they were indeed back in the forest where they had been before Kronos had appeared.

"Ohhhhhhhh." Buffy groaned, clutching her head as she tried to open her eyes. "What the...?" The slayer looked around trying to focus. She could make out a fuzzy figure that looked a lot like..."Xena?"

"Yeah, I'm here." The warrior replied, kneeling beside the slayer. "Something went wrong."

"Obviously...where are we?" Buffy asked.

"The Bacchae forest." Xena replied.

"Xena!" Gabrielle cried.

At Gabrielle's cry, Buffy sprang into action. She sat up then and saw Gabrielle kneeling beside Willow, trying, without success, to wake the redhead.

"Willow?" Buffy called, making her way over to the motionless redhead in record time. She fell to her knees beside the hacker, scanning her for any visible injuries. Finding none, she reached out lightly touching the base of her throat, and breathed a sigh of relief when she found a steady pulse. "She's alive." She told the warrior and bard. "She's unconscious. The spell must have taken a lot out of her."

"Is she going to be okay?" Gabrielle asked, leaning into Xena for support.

"I hope so." Buffy answered, cradling Willow in her arms. "Come on, Will, come back to us." She urged, brushing the hair back from the redhead's face and kissing her on the forehead. Buffy rocked Willow gently, talking softly to her, for a few minutes.

Finally, the redhead began to respond, moaning in pain as she fought her way back to the conscious realm. "Take it slow. It's okay." Buffy whispered, gently caressing Willow's cheek.

"Buffy?"

"I'm here, Will." She assured her. "How do you feel?"

"Not so good. My head...the spell...did it work?" Willow replied, slowly opening her eyes.

"Kind of." Buffy replied.

"What do you mean?" Willow asked, finally managing to open her eyes and focus on Buffy.

"Well...let's put it this way...know how you've always wanted to go to Europe?"

"Wha...?" Willow said, looking around as she struggled to sit up. "It _can't_ be. Buffy...It can't. How could this happen?"

"I have no idea. I was hoping you could tell me." The slayer replied.

"I don't know...what are we going to do? This can't be happening. How are we going to get home?"

"Again, _no_ idea."

"We've got to get _back_. School. _The mayor's_ _ascension_. Oh, Buffy, you're here...that means..."

"I know. As long as I'm here...I'm not there. No slayer in 1999 means no one to fight the bad guys." Buffy noted.

"If we don't make it back before the ascension..."

"End of the world...yeah, I know." Buffy concluded.

"Aww, Buffy. I don't know what went wrong. I'm so sorry." Willow said, her green eyes brimming with tears.

"It's okay. Don't cry." Buffy urged, reaching out to wipe away the tear that trailed down Willow's cheek. "We'll figure something out. We always do. Right?"

The redhead nodded and tried to put on a brave face. "Well, you did say you wanted a vacation..." Willow pointed out.

Buffy chuckled. "Not _quite_ what I had in mind."

The End

------------------------- Continued in the sequel "The Good, The Bad and The Fangy"


End file.
